Why are many consumers choosing to spend time alone rather than with others? Is the popularity of plushies the latest indicator of the kidulting trend? And why is history-themed media proving so popular?
Below we explore three topics on our radar this month and their impact on consumers. By scanning the headlines, keeping tabs on social media conversations and tuning into the zeitgeist, we connect the dots between our trends and the wider world so that you can make sense of what’s happening now and what it means for you.
1. Playing with plushies – not just for kids
What’s happening?
Soft toys, aka stuffed animals or “plushies,” featured at the top of many children’s toy lists for Christmas 2024 – despite not being AI-enabled or offering the lure of screen time. But it’s not just kids who are playing with plushies; the fact that many adults are engaging means that plushies are growing in revenue and mindshare, and as such could prove to be a popular gift this Valentine’s Day.
In fact, it has been estimated that sales of soft toys increased by around 58% between 2021 and 2025, with the global market worth almost $12 billion in 2023 and expected to grow at an annual rate of 8% through 2030 (source: Circana). Those aged 12 and over now account for over a quarter of sales, surpassing preschoolers for the first time. A key driver of this has been their popularity on social media. On TikTok, videos with the hashtag #plushies have been viewed over 8 billion times.
A number of brands have done well out of the recent craze, including Squishmallows, whose parent company was bought by famed investor Warren Buffet, and Labubu, which is popular across Asia. The brand most associated with the plushie craze, however, is Jellycat, which was founded in the UK in 1999.
The brand’s recent popup at London’s Selfridges department store proved so popular that shoppers had to book a slot to visit in advance, and Google Trends searches for the label spiked around Christmas 2024. Jellycat is known for its quirky designs modeled on food items and its prices, which, at around £30 (c. $37), are hardly pocket-money friendly. Sought-after, limited-edition designs offer bragging rights on social media and can command high prices on resale markets.
Actions for brands:
Explore how the sense of touch can provide emotional benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, plushies offered people a sense of comfort and nostalgia in the face of a disruptive threat while stuck at home. There is a view held by many, including mental health professionals, that soft toys can provide both an escape from global turmoil and emotional succor. Counsellor Debbie Keenan is quoted as saying: “Delving into neuroscience, touching and hugging soft objects can aid lowering the stress hormone cortisol and increase the happy hormone oxytocin.”
Offer ways to find escapism and community through play. Fashion is another sector that is seeing the growth of more playful, childlike influences in 2025. This takes the form of bold colors, cartoon prints and quirky accessories. Fashion houses including Moschino, Coach, Roch Studio and Pero have all infused their collections with playful designs. For instance, Coach’s 2025 collection includes a teddy-bear shaped bag. Loewe even offers a plushie-inspired hamster handbag priced at a decidedly grown-up £1,350 (c. $1,660).
2. The great opt-out
What’s happening?
Consumers are choosing self-optimization over socialization, setting stricter boundaries and canceling plans in order to stay home, spend time alone and in some cases, level up in their skills.
A January 2025 report from The Atlantic highlighted a range of data that demonstrates how American consumers are spending less time with others. For example, in-person socializing reportedly declined by over 20% between 2003 and 2023. And among men who watch TV, they spend one hour socializing with others outside their home for every seven hours spent watching TV.
Other sources confirm this notion that isolation is prevailing over togetherness. The American Time Use survey shows that on an average day in 2023, Americans spent just 34 minutes socializing and communicating. The ONS has found that British consumers spend 32 minutes socializing with others on average each day. Our own data shows that 2 in 3 global consumers say they “actively set aside time to be by myself”, highlighting the importance of alone time. In contrast, 4 in 10 say they want to be more sociable (source: Foresight Factory, 16+, 2024).
Flaking on plans (canceling at the last minute) in the name of self-care also seems to be on the rise. One woman interviewed by The Guardian felt this was driven by individualism – in her words, “a culture that encourages people to be increasingly inward looking, always thinking about themselves, how they feel, what they want”.
A core driver of this withdrawal from social situations appears to be the pressure and desire to self-optimize. This is something we explored in a weak signal about the “winter arc” strategy and its popularity on social media, which encourages consumers to withdraw from social plans and pleasurable activities during the winter in order to reach self-improvement goals.
Brands are tapping into the consumer desire to opt out in order to level up. For example, AI-powered language platform Jumpspeak implores potential users to “disappear” and return to the world transformed, with new skills attained and new levels of self-fulfilment reached. Shifting home dynamics also speak to the rise of isolation. One in five US Millennial couples consistently slept in separate bedrooms in 2023, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The concept, christened “sleep divorce”, may improve sleep, but does it support togetherness?
Unsurprisingly, feelings of loneliness persist across the world. 31% of American consumers feel at risk of loneliness over the next 5 years, up from 23% in 2016 (source: Foresight Factory, 16+, 2024). Globally, 4 in 10 Gen Z consumers feel at risk, rising to 1 in 2 Gen Z in the Nordics (source: Foresight Factory, 27-country average, 16+, 2024).
The irony, as we explore in our trend Social Wellness, is that spending time with others and having strong relationships supports overall health, particularly areas such as sleep, stress management and physical activity levels (source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This means those opting out of social occasions and canceling plans are likely harming, rather than helping, their wellness goals.
Actions for brands:
Support solo living – but nudge people towards social time, too. Brands have an opportunity to help consumers avoid alone time becoming a burden rather than a salve. Facilitate ways for communities to meet and spend time together, without the pressure – or in ways that align with individual optimization goals, such as group workouts.
3. History is back in fashion
What’s happening?
“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” In 2023, this phrase took the internet by storm, inspiring countless memes and around 85 million videos on the subject to date. While it may seem like a niche topic, this was an early indicator of a broader interest in history itself.
Indeed, history podcasts and books are booming and have become an increasingly popular pastime. Their commercial appeal is evidenced by their sheer number of fans: the Royal Albert Hall, one of London’s largest theatres and home to some of the biggest concerts, welcomed thousands of “The Rest is History” fans in late 2024. Hosted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, the podcast was downloaded 12.5 million times per month in 2024. Since its launch, it has also become the most subscribed-to podcast in Britain, boasting a dedicated fandom known as “Athel Stan” – a nod to the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of England. Empire is another history podcast with widespread appeal; it booked out the Barbican events venue in London in just two days.
In the UK, this interest in the past extends beyond podcasts. According to Nielsen BookData, more history books were sold in the UK and Ireland in 2023 than in any other recorded year, with comparable data dating back to 1998.
In the US too, audiences are building up an appetite for history-related content. Last year was the first election year in which the history category outsold politics. Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College, is one of Substack’s most popular authors, with around 1.8 million subscribers. And sales of ancient history books rose 67% from 2013 to 2023. A look at Google Trends data confirms this growing interest:
According to data released by British Podcast Awards, comedy and history are the two most popular genres. Indeed, podcasts boast a wide range of well-known creators and shows: Hardcore History, Revisionist History, The History of Rome, Stuff you Missed in History Class, Tides of History and History Hit to name a few. Among these, Hardcore History has developed a cult following, with its host, Dan Carlin, being one of the pioneers in the history podcasting world (the podcast’s first episode was released in 2006). His archival episodes still rack up a substantial number of downloads, and while he only produces one or two a year, each episode can last for more than six hours.
History has proven so popular that the UK even plans to build a new £600 million theme park in Oxfordshire with historical attractions such as period villages and live shows where visitors can “immerse themselves in British history”. The proposal was launched by Puy du Fou, a France-based theme park company that specializes in blending art, nature, history and entertainment.
Actions for brands:
Help consumers switch off from the present. Geopolitical instability, culture wars, environmental doom and a general sense of weariness with the affairs of the world prompts consumers to look for solace elsewhere: history, for many, fulfils this need. Looking to the past to escape the present can be a source of Light Relief to many consumers – a comfort that is increasingly harder to come across in traditional media and social spaces.
Create spaces for likeminded communities. Fandoms offer a sense of belonging to consumers – and this feeling of having a shared interest can have a significant impact on consumers’ wellbeing. As Tom Holland from The Rest is History puts it: “Our audience weren’t necessarily interested in history. But I think lots of them like the sense of friendship.”
Talk to us about getting access to Collision
These signals are part of a longer report published on Collision, our dynamic trends intelligence platform. Members get access to these reports at the beginning of every month, so they always have a finger on the pulse of consumers and culture. If you’re interested in learning more about Collision and how the platform can make a difference to your business, get in touch today.
