Shop Talk
Retailers, consumers and prices
Check Out Line: Vampires and caped heroes rule in online swap world
Check out the popularity of vampires and werewolves, Taylor Swift and caped superheros in the online trading world.
Swaptree.com, an online company that allows consumers to trade books, CDs, DVDs and video games for free with others, provided its top swaps of 2009.
Topping the books lists among most traded were “The Host,” which topped four offerings in the Twilight series. Albums by Taylor Swift (pictured) claimed the top two spots on the most traded CDs list, while “The Dark Knight,” the latest Batman movie, was No. 1 on the movies list. The most traded video game was Wii Fit.
“Because of the recession, we are continuing to see a lot of consumers who love that they can trade for new media items instead of buying new,” Swaptree co-founder Mark Hexamer said in a statement. “Swapping and frugality are lifestyle trends that aren’t going anywhere.”
Check Out Line: Toyland bottomline
Check out earnings in toyland… for one company at least.
Hasbro posted a better-than- expected first-quarter profit on Monday, with sales rising 13 percent. Meanwhile, Mattel had a loss in the first quarter , hurt by legal expenses, higher costs and lower sales of its Fisher-Price products.
Oh, and Barbie is sagging too, with that Mattel doll line posting 12 percent drop in sales in the United States.
Now, it’s hard to draw a lot from the first quarter in the toy business. After the holiday season, many people often take a break from buying toys.
But Hasbro had success with its Transformers and Littlest Pet Shop lines.
Mattel is hoping price increases in June will help offset rising costs.
Meanwhile, the competition really heats up again in coming months as the summer movie season hits. Will “Speed Racer” and “Batman: The Dark Knight” win the day for Mattel over Hasbro-linked “Iron Man” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?”
At Mattel, they have to be singing “Go Speed Racer, go!”
Also in the basket:
Reversing Field, Macy’s Goes Local (WSJ)
Weak dollar takes toll on European beauty exports (WWD)
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Resident Shop Talk Expert
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