Christmas may come only once a year – but when it arrives, it is a very important time for retailers. It can mean the difference between a good year and a disaster. So it’s no surprise that so much effort goes into predicting what the top selling items will be every year.
It’s doubly important in the toys and games sector. Each year there seems to be one special toy that is the “must have” toy of the year. In no particular order we have witnessed Buzz Lightyear, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Beyblades, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furbies take the “top toy” title in previous years.
Usually most of these toys will enjoy one year at the top of the list. Whilst most of these toys are still available today, they aren’t going to be number one this Christmas. Many of them won’t even make it into the top twenty.
On the other hand, there are some perennial favorites which are always popular choices every year and have withstood the test of time across generations of kids. Some well known examples, again in no particular order, might be Lego, Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo, Barbie, G.I. Joe and train sets. Admittedly, it’s unlikely that any of these will be the top selling this year – but they will be in the top twenty or thirty toys year after year.
Considering the current volume of sales, this year’s best selling toy looks like being Zhu Zhu Hamsters – furry, robot hamsters which interact using artificial intelligence. However, as in earlier years, demand seems to be greater than supply. It’s already hard to find them in the stores. You can however, find them on eBay – at prices way above the retail price. This appears to happen every year and toy manufacturers have been accused of artificially limiting supply to create a buzz on more than one occasion in the past.
This really isn’t unusual. If it’s a deliberate strategy by the manufacturers is debatable, but it has almost become an annual occurrence these days. Many times, no more than a few weeks after Christmas, last year’s pricey top toy will be old hat. The more traditional toys on the other hand, will still be used and enjoyed for a long time to come. Many of these toys will actually be transferred from one generation to the next. That’s why toys such as Hornby Dublo train sets, Lego, Scrabble etc. represent such excellent value for money and are always a welcome addition to any child’s toy collection.
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Admin
Filed under: Fun Stuff
Leave a Reply