Kids & Toys

Tesco's much-anticipated toy sale has begun. You can get up to 50% off ALL its toys in stores (find your nearest*) and at Tesco.com* from Mon 16 Oct until Sun 1 Nov. If shopping online, delivery's £3-£5.50.

How good is this sale?

While the sale is billed as 'up to 50% off', in reality it's unlikely that the majority of items will be half-price. Tesco wasn’t able to tell us how much of each range is actually 50% off, and although you're getting a discount on every single item, from our own research we'd say that only 10-20% of items are discounted by 50%. 

Availability of particular items could vary from store to store, so it's worth checking several if you can't find what you're after.

Here are some of this year's strongest deals. See 'More info' for a list of the major brands included and the kinds of discounts you can expect for each.

Toy	Price, and next cheapest we found
Little Live Pets Fish*	£6.50 (was £13) Next cheapest, £13 at Selfridges and The Entertainer.
Lego Duplo Assortment*  (Temporarily unavailable online)	£8.50 (was £13) Next cheapest, £8.66 at Sainsbury's.
Carousel Grocery Delivery Van*	£10 (was £15) Not available elsewhere.
Leapfrog 100 Words Book*	£15 (was £20) Next cheapest, £17 at John Lewis.
Plush Pound Puppies (Classic)*  (Out of stock online)	£15 (was £20) Next cheapest, £19.99 at Amazon.
Lego City 3-in-1 Bundle Pack*	£20 (was £40) Next cheapest, £42.97 at Amazon.
Fisher-Price Linkimals Smooth Moves Sloth*	£22.50 (was £30) Next cheapest, £27.99 at Asda and The Entertainer.

It's best to check for a bargain early as stock is likely to go fast. Don't assume Tesco will be cheapest for everything – always compare prices to ensure you're getting the best deal. If buying online, you'll need to factor in the delivery cost.

For a full round-up of top toy deals, including up to 50% off at Sainsbury's and Morrisons, see all kids & toy offers.

The Sainsbury's toy sale has now begun, with up to 50% off selected toys in stores until Wed 21 Oct. Brands include Lego, Fortnite, Barbie and Paw Patrol.

You can find your nearest Sainsbury's store that sell toys by typing 'toy sale' into the search bar. Just like last year, the sale is in stores only. Sainsbury's told us it won't be taking place online.

How good is this sale?

While the sale is billed as 'up to 50% off', in reality it's unlikely that the majority of sale items will be half-price. Sainsbury's told us it couldn't provide details about what's in the toy sale as items vary from store to store, and with lockdown tightening, it's not been possible for us to do our usual checks in stores to compare stock and the range of discounts.

Specific toys will vary from store to store, so it might be worth checking a couple of toy-stocking branches if you don't find what you're after. 

This is always a popular sale with MoneySavers, so toys are likely to be snapped up fast. Go quick if you want something, but don’t assume Sainsbury's will be cheapest – always compare prices at other retailers before buying.

You might also like to check out the 'up to 50% off' toy sale at Morrisons.

Selected toys are up to half-price in 400 Morrisons stores (find your nearest*), with brands including Lego, Playmobil and Hot Wheels. The sale is running until store closing time on Wed 25 Nov, but a few offers end on Sun 8 Nov (see the table below for the four toys this applies to).

You can find a few discounted toy offers online* too, but you'll have to venture out to a store for the main event. It might be worth checking several stores if you can't find what you're after, as stock availability will vary between them.

How good is this sale?

While the sale is billed as 'up to 50% off', in reality it's unlikely that the majority of items will be half-price. Morrisons wasn’t able to tell us how many of the sale items are actually 50% off, and with lockdown tightening, it's not been possible for us to do our usual checks in stores to compare stock and the range of discounts.

As always, it's good to check prices at other retailers before buying, so that you know you're getting the best deal.

It may be a case of trial-and-error to find what you want, so if you can visit several different stores, the better your chances will be. 

A few examples of toys you might find in Morrisons stores:

Don't always assume Morrisons will be the cheapest, especially since there are a few toy sales on at the moment. Keep in mind that The Entertainer offers a lowest price guarantee on some of its toys until 24 Dec.

You can get up to 50% off toys and games online with toy retailer The Entertainer*, or in any of its stores (find your nearest*). Although 'up to 50% off' covers most of the sale discounts, we've spotted as much as 75% off some items.

We've asked The Entertainer when the sale's due to end and we'll update here once we know.

If shopping online, delivery's £3.99 or free if spending £39.99 or more. Roughly the same range is available for the same prices on The Entertainer's eBay store, but it told us you're more likely to see low-stock items on the main website, so the range will be larger.

Here are some strong examples we found on Mon 12 Oct (not including delivery):

• Funko Pop! Captain Marvel neon bobblehead – £3.33 (was £10). Next cheapest: £3.49 at Forbidden Planet
• Disney Frozen 2 Anna fancy dress set - £12 (was £18). Couldn't find elsewhere.
• Early Learning Centre sensory ball pit - £14.99 (was £29.99). Next cheapest: £38.14 at OnBuy. (Same price, 14.99, at Early Learning Centre, owned by The Entertainer

The Entertainer may not always be the cheapest so be sure to check prices at other retailers first. However, some of the sale items are also marked as 'lowest price guarantee' eligible, which means you'll get the difference back via e-gift card if you spot the same item cheaper elsewhere.

See our Kids & Toys deals for more discounts.

Aldi's ‘Specialbuys’ toy event is back for its sixth year. Its online from Sun 18 Oct, and in all stores (find your nearest) from Thu 22 Oct, and will continue while stocks last.

As with all Aldi Specialbuys, it's best to go quick if you want something as stock tends to be limited and when they're gone, they're gone. If you look online, a few deals are usually marked ‘online exclusive’ so won’t be in stores, and in store you may find what's available will vary.

Aldi's popular wooden toys are included in the event, and last year we saw 'dupes' that looked similar to much pricier versions available elsewhere. Eg, Aldi offered a £60 wooden ice cream stand that looked very similar to upmarket toy brand Hape's £140ish version.

What can I expect to find in the toy event?

A few examples of toys we found in Aldi stores, and our price analysis:

Be sure to check out the other toy sales currently running to make sure you're getting the best price. 

Toy retailer The Entertainer* has launched its 'lowest price guarantee' on over 2,000 toys online and in store (find your nearest*). If you purchase a qualifying item from The Entertainer between Mon 5 Oct and Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Eve) and you find it cheaper at any UK competitor, including Amazon (some exclusions apply - see 'More Info' for a list), it'll give you back the difference on an e-gift card.

The 'lowest price guarantee' items will be marked clearly online and in stores. After buying one, fill out The Entertainer's online form* with your details and receipt number. Don't worry about selecting a store if it was an online purchase. The Entertainer will grant you an e-gift card for the difference if it lowers its own price during the promotional period, or if you spot the item cheaper elsewhere and it can verify it.

You'll have until 30 Jan 2021 to spend the e-gift card in store or online. If buying online, delivery's £3.99 or free if spending £39.99 or more. The e-gift card can be applied to delivery charges and can be used alongside other offers.

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