Because it’s easy to browse many toy options and it’s convenient. It’s even easier when I know exactly what I want to buy such as a LEGO kit or some specific request they made.
That said, there is something fun about going to a large toy store with your kids where they can try different toys out and see them in person. Online doesn’t offer that.
I remember as a kid the closest thing we had was the Sears catalog. My siblings and I looked forward to it coming in the mail every year. We’d all clamor for it and spend hours combing through the toys. These days, kids can spend hours browsing toys online – lucky them.
Toys is a big business. Danish company LEGO is the leading toy company to date with its peak revenue at $5.49 billion USD. Another American company, Mattel, follows closely with $5.46 billion USD in revenue. Mattel is the company behind Barbie, Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels, and UNO to name a few. Third is Namko Bandai, the Japanese video game development company and publisher known for Tekken, Dragonball, Naruto and Pac-Man.
Toy Stores Online Chart
Our List of Online Toy Stores
- Amazon:Amazon is perhaps the most obvious inclusion in the list of online stores. As the world’s largest online store, it is evident that Amazon is the largest online source of toys around the globe. This online shop is packed with millions of individual toys. Having such a wide variety of options can make decision-making hard, and therefore Amazon has numerous filters that customers can use to zero-in on their ideal selection. You can also check their best-selling toys and new releases, which are updated daily, to have exclusive access to brand-new toys.
- Toys R Us:Toys R Us has not had an easy go of it the last few years, largely due to the growth in shopping for toys online. Amazon and Walmart sell a ton of toys. 20 years ago Toys R Us was the go-to toy store if you were fortunate enough to have on in your area.
In fact, things got so bad that Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and was going to shutter everything including online sales. However, a private equity firm swooped in and bought the company. The Toys R Us website is alive and well with all kinds of toys available. I hope this iconic toy company survives.
- Toy Wiz: Toy Wiz is a toy company based in New York that has been in the e-commerce industry for more than 10 years. The excellent customer service with this online store is unrivaled, making it a darling for its many online customers. The company has a global reach as it not only ships throughout the United States but also to over 40 countries around the world.
- Fish Pond:Fish Pond is another online store dealing with toys. According to its website, Fish Pond offers “free shipping anywhere in the world.” The variety of toys available on the site is immense. The online store has hundreds of thousands of toys to choose from (there were over 0.3 million action and toy figures on the site at the time of writing).
- Toy Universe:Toy Universe is the world of toys, having thousands of different toys on its website. This store has made inroads into the United States despite being based in Australia. Toy Universe beats its competition by offering its “buy now, pay later” offer for its customers who use OxiPay, AfterPay, and ZipPay payment options.
- Walmart:Another company that needs no introduction is Walmart, America’s renowned retail store. The company’s online store allows people not able to access its physical stores to buy different types of toys comfortably. Surfing through the website exposes customers to the many offers available on the toys.
- Hamleys:There are tons of fun toys available at Hamleys, another online toy store. Customers can also return ordered toys that they feel fall short of their expectations. You can also obtain a gift voucher from the Hamleys which come either as paper gift vouchers or e-vouchers.
- Fat Brain Toys:Fat Brain Toys is one of the few online stores having a shipping flat rate, which stands at $3.99. As its name suggests, this toy store is all about toys shown to enhance brain development. All the toys in Fat Brain Toys are designed with the user’s intellectual growth in focus.
- Stage Toys:Toys take center stage at Stage Toys, another prime online store focused on toys. Some of the toys available at Stage Toys include fun pebbles, cute dolls, and action figures.
- Mattel Shop:Mattel Shop has many toy options for its customers, all of which are from respected brands. Signing up on the online shop makes one a VIP parent able to access free shipping offers, 20% discounts on the first orders, and birthday rewards on the kids’ birthdays.
- Big Bad Toy Store:If you are looking for an online store where you can buy action figures, then the Big Bad Toy Store should be your number-one choice. This store is packed with all the famous action figures inspired by Marvel and DC Comics superheroes.
- Learning Resources:Only a few online toy stores in the world can boast of having experience in toy production that spans over three decades. Learning Resources, an online store based in the United Kingdom is one of such store. In this online shop, customers are guaranteed toys proven to be safe for kids. Learning Resources offers shipping to over 80 countries around the globe.
- Hasbro Toy Shop:Hasbro has thousands of toys available at its online store. These toys are up-to-date and modern and come at different prices to suit the needs of everyone. The store also offers price discounts for special cases such as in bulk purchases.
- John Deere Store:John Deere is perhaps best known for its heavy machinery. However, the company is also a dominant player in the toy business. There are dozens of different types of toys on offer on John Deere’s toy segment. Another notable service offered by the company is free shipping for any order worth $50 and above.
- Disney:Disney needs no introduction, but you’ll be amazed by the variety of toys on offer at their online store. Here you’re sure to find a vast collection of Disney-inspired toys featuring all legendary action figures. They also have unbeatable deals on the prices of the toys and offer free shipping for orders over $75.
- Kohl’s:Kohl’s has many toys that customers can choose from; from cute Disney-themed dolls to extreme monster toy trucks. The filters on the website are easy to use and help customers to get the exact toy they are looking for.
- LEGO:The iconic LEGO is an obvious inclusion in the top online toys in the country. Buy shopping for toys directly on their site, you are guaranteed to access their latest offerings before they hit the shelves. The company also regularly has sales on its online store where toys are sold at slashed prices.
- The Toy Shop:The Toy Shop is another online store based in the United Kingdom, whose parent company is The Entertainer; the largest independent retailer in the United Kingdom. You can request to have the latest toys and hottest deals on the website sent to you via email, by signing up with them. An interesting feature on the website is their “present finder” which helps users to come up with the perfect present for a special occasion.
- McFarlane Toys Store:McFarlane Toys Store is an online whose founder is the renowned comic creator, Todd McFarlane after whom the store is also named after. It, therefore, goes without much say that many of the store’s toys are based on McFarlane comics. While the toys in this store transcend different ages, they are the few that are embraced by teens and young adults.
- Fisher Price:Fisher Price offers free shipping on orders exceeding $50 in value. However, this offer excludes shipments heading to Puerto Rico, Canada, and Alaska. Signing up makes you a VIP parent eligible for a variety of special offers. The website also has informative articles that can help parents in choosing the right toy for their kids.
- Primary Mind Toys:At Primary Mind Toys, customers are provided with free shipping after buying orders over $49. The online store helps clients to choose the best birthday gifts for their kids. The website also provides customers with a list of the best-selling toys, so as not to be left out of upcoming trends.
- Target:Target is known for its affordable prices, something that is also seen in its toys. The company’s online store has the latest and antique toys, all at unbelievable prices. By buying at Target, customers get free shipping for orders above $35.
- Imagine Toys:Imagine Toys is a toy company based in Michigan which is gaining prominence in the online toy store industry. Toys offered in the online store are not only a source of fun for kids, but also help in their psychological and educational development. What if you’re not pleased with the product you receive? Worry not. The company offers a 100% guarantee to take back such a product.
- US Toy:US Toy is another famous online store focused on selling toys. Buying toys worth over $30 through US Toy will see you get free shipping for the purchased items. Unlike many other stores, US Toy has an additional classification for its toys; the party theme where customers can easily pick out their preferred toys for a particular event.
- Kiddlestix Toy Store:Kiddlestix Toy Store is another leading online store for toys. The company’s brick-and-mortar store is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma but it also allows its customers to shop online via its website which is filled with all types of toys. The website allows customers to sort the toys by age, price, gender, and toy brand.
- Timbuk Toys:Timbuk Toys is a renowned toy store in Denver that also boasts of having an efficient online store. Hundreds of different toys are on offer at Timbuk Toys, all coming at pocket-friendly prices. If you are around Denver, be sure to visit one of their four stores around the city.
- Rogue Toys:While other toy stores struggle with coming up with the latest toys, one store is focused on vintage toys. Rogue Toys has a wide variety of old school-themed toys, most of which are inspired by iconic comic book heroes, heroines, and villains.
- The Sensory Shop:Unlike other online toy stores, the Sensory Shop is focused on toys targeted at child development. According to the store’s website, all the toys sold at The Sensory Shop have been tested by therapeutic, education, and medical professionals.
- Macy’s:Macy’s is another amazing online store where all sorts of toys are available at affordable prices. The online store offers shipping to 100 countries around the globe, allowing customers from foreign markets to obtain their awesome toys.
- Tantrum:What I love about Tantrum is its user-friendly interface which is so easy to use that even kids can use it to shop. There is a great variety of toys to choose from, and the prices are all pocket-friendly.
- Kidding Around Toys:Kidding Around Toys has been mentioned as the best toy store in New York City and New Jersey by the New York Magazine and the New Jersey Monthly Magazine respectively. The online store’s website is simple and easy to use, with its homepage having the top toys on offer known as “staff picks”.
- OP Taylor:OP Taylor is one of the dominant online toy stores in the South, with the store being labeled as among the world’s top toy stores by USA Today. The store’s brick-and-mortar facility is situated in downtown Brevard. It is inside this store covering over 6,000 square feet where the production of the toys is done.
- Buy Buy Baby:Buy Buy Baby has a wide range of toys on its interface which I felt is very user-friendly. You can easily navigate through the website. This online store has what it calls “price match promise” whereby customers are offered prices similar to those in other stores, so long as the customer can show proof of having a better price in another store.
- Miracle Mile Toy Hall:Domiciled in Los Angeles, Miracle Mile Toy Hall has grown to become a force to reckon with in online toy sales. As a testament to its growing reputation, LA Weekly recently voted Miracle Mile Toy Hall as the city’s best Toys R Us Alternative. The toy store has a wide variety of toys to choose from, making it ideal for one-stop shopping for kids of all ages.
- Toy Town:One thing that stands out about Toy Town is how they treat their clients as family, with the toy store frequently hosting fun parties each year. The toy store is packed with toys for customers of all ages. The toy store also prides itself in having more than two decades of experience and was once featured on the front page of Business Monday.
- Zulily:Zulily sums up our list of online toys stores. This online store is driven by the motto “something special everyday” making it an obvious choice when looking for special toys. The website has a cool feel to it, allowing you to take your time to pick out the best toys for your kids. Keep visiting their site to be on the lookout for their amazing sales where prices are slashed by as much as 70%.
- WickedUncle.com: Wicked Uncle is the newest online toy store on our list although set up 12 years ago in the UK by an uncle who needed to find fun, unique gifts for his nephews and nieces. But last year they delivered over 100,000 fun toys in the US alone – with $6.95 shipping wherever you are and however much you need. They are what’s called a “curated” site – which means all toys have been selected carefully for each age, are good value and all kid tested for fun by the children of the company’s staff. Plus REAL giftwrapping and even handwritten birthday cards are available, and they have become known in UK- and now USA – for excellent customer service.
- PlayMobil:While you can buy the popular PlayMobil toy sets on Amazon, Walmart and other sites, this company has its own shopping site as well. My kids prefer LEGO, but I know kids who are wild about PlayMobil so it can be a great toy gift for many kids.
What to consider when buying toys online
I’ve bought a ton of toys online over the years for my kids, nieces and nephews. While it’s definitely not rocket science, here are a few things to consider.
Shipping delays: Usually you buy toys for a gift which means you need it by a certain date. You definitely want to check the deliver-by date. When I shop on Amazon, I often filter listings by “Prime” so that anything I choose will be shipped quickly.
New vs. Used: This pertains mostly to Amazon. Watch out for “refurbished” or “used” versions unless that’s what you want. I get annoyed that Amazon lists these. I’ve made the mistake of buying used expecting new.