Family-run toy shop Mcslots has been through the industry’s ups and downs for 12 years. In 2024, founder Mark Crowhurst watched in dismay as demand for model cars and action figures dropped as families cut back on discretionary spending.

That year, UK toy sales fell 3.7% year-on-year, according to industry tracker Circana. Notably, nearly half of toys sold were priced under £15 ($19).

In 2025, Crowhurst decided to upload a small selection of his 3,900-product inventory to Temu as a test. Within 48 hours of listing his products, orders began flowing in.

Three months later, his daily orders were up more than 40%, with Temu accounting for half of his total sales.

While the toy industry as a whole declined, collectibles like die-cast cars have bucked the trend, driven by "kidults"—adults buying toys for themselves, who now account for 28% of global toy sales. For Mcslots, Temu connected the shop directly to that collector base.

"Temu is the savior of our business," Crowhurst said. "Without it, we would have had a tough summer."

His $21 Ecto-1 model from the "Ghostbusters" franchise exemplifies the platform's reach — it sold more units on Temu in six weeks than across all other platforms throughout the previous year.

Crowhurst said he found seller support to be a differentiator. When a customer noted confusion about product sizing, Temu's account manager quickly refined the listing.

"I think the main thing is Temu is listening, and is trying to make things work," he said.

From retail worker to toy specialist

Crowhurst's journey to toy retail began unexpectedly. While working retail at Asda, he operated an online store carrying various products.

When a friend asked him to help sell a collection of die-cast cars from Corgi Toys, he discovered his niche and launched Mcslots.

Today, the business ships to collectors in Australia, Japan and other international markets. While many UK toy retailers struggled through 2024's downturn, Mcslots found a lifeline by getting on the right platform at the right time.