Shop Talk

Check Out Line: Landfill, homage to vending machines mark Toys R Us “hot toy list”

Ben Klayman

Sep 21, 2010 14:39 UTC

Check out the hot new toys list from Toys R Us for the holiday shopping season.
 
The “2010 holiday hot toy list” shows the industry’s creativity in finding new ways to capture children’s imaginations. That includes looking for inspiration to landfills or the annoying coin-operated vending machines in groceries that all parents detest.
 
Toys R Us comes out with the annual list, which this year features 36 new items — some exclusive — to give parents ideas for what to buy their little ones as they head into the holidays. 
 
“We don’t want to miss anything,” said Lisa Harnisch, vice president and divisional merchandise manager at Toys R Us.
 
The list includes a Fisher-Price made landfill that allows fans of the Disney-Pixar movie “Toy Story 3” to relive the scary climax scene where the hero toys head toward incineration. It’s not every day that your kid will thank you for giving them a garbage dump. At least there’s no batteries required.
 
Then there’s “Squinkies,” squishy pencil-topping toys that allow kids to “take home the excitement of a coin-operated vending machine.” Evoking imagery of the gantlet every parent dreads because those machines are filled with useless, cheap, money-wasting junk may not be the way to go. Again, no batteries required.
 
Longtime favorite Playmobil offers a small schoolhouse “featuring everything needed for a full curriculum”, including a skeleton for the science class. This could do well as kids love to play with structures and also are fascinated by the human body. And, you guessed it, no batteries required!
 
Finally, there’s the Calico Critters Luxury Townhouse. These toys live better than I do. The house boasts a “balcony and an outdoor patio” and includes chandelier fixtures. Unfortunately, there is a price to be paid for such high living and that’s the electric bill as, yes, this toy requires two AA batteries.
    
The best gift for little ones may be IOUs for stock in Toys R Us, which is counting on the new products to boost sales as it looks to go public. A successful IPO would surely pay for plenty of batteries.

Also in the basket:

Clorox to sell auto-care brands for $780 mln

Asda relaunches own brand in bid to catch rivals

ConAgra profit misses; full-year outlook lowered

US clothing firm Urban Brands files for Chapter 11

(Photo courtesy of Toys R Us)

Fisher-Price launches iPhone apps and gets on Facebook

Dhanya Skariachan

Mar 18, 2010 17:17 UTC

Mattel’s Fisher-Price, home to many infant and preschool toy brands, is going digital.

The maker of Little People playsets and Power Wheels toy cars is launching iPhone applications related to its “The Chatter Telephone,” “See ‘n Say” and “Little People Farm” brands.

Kids — meet Elmo Live

A singing and dancing Elmo Live said hello to the world on Monday at the Toys “R” Us store in Times Square.

Elmo Live is Fisher-Price’s latest version of the Sesame Street fixture, after Tickle Me Elmo in 1996 and TMX Elmo in 2006. Fisher-Price is a unit of top U.S. toymaker Mattel Inc.

Check Out Line: Pink iPod helps lead hot toy parade

Check Out how the iPod finally made it into the Toys “R” Us hot toys list for the holidays.

This holiday season, Apple’s pink 8 GB iPod nano, Nintendo’s Wii Fit and the Fisher-Price Sesame Street Elmo Live toy are topping the list of most sought-after toys.