Shop Talk

Fisher-Price launches iPhone apps and gets on Facebook

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.

Sure, the target audience for the apps is a bit too young to buy iPhones.  Still, they often use them.

“iPhone and iPod Touch devices are regularly being passed to kids for entertainment,” said Dave Ciganko, Fisher-Price’s vice president of design.

Fisher-Price is also launching a new “Moments to Share” application on Facebook, giving parents another tool to share their child’s photos and videos, and access new toy ideas.

With a swipe of a finger on Apple’s iPhone, the Little People Farm app lets kids view their favorite characters on the farm yard, and make them laugh, jump into puddles, dance and make sounds.  The various apps sell for 99 cents to $1.99 at the iTunes App Store.

Check Out Line: Buying basics buoys big chains

Check out the ten largest U.S. retailers.

The National Retail Federation’s STORES magazine is out with its annual ranking of the top 100 retailers.

The list shows that U.S. consumers have been focused on bargains and basic necessities, such as food and medicine.  Wal-Mart tops the lineup, followed by Kroger and Costco.  Home Depot fell from No. 2 in 2007 to the fourth spot in 2008 as many shoppers decided to cut back on costly home-improvement projects.

Home Depot, Lowe’s and Sears Holdings were the only members of the top 10 to see their revenue fall in 2008.

Some other rankings that may interest you: Amazon.com is the 19th largest retailer, ranking higher than well-known chains such as J.C. Penney, 7-Eleven and Gap.  Apple’s stores and iTunes combined hold the 40th spot, topping chains such as Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble.

The companies were listed by annual revenue, which may include estimates for private or closely-held companies.  Revenue from major non-retail operations were excluded when possible.

Also in the basket:

from DealZone:

Guns n’ Roses rocks Best Buy, gently

After scoring one of the biggest exclusive deals in music retailing in a long while-- or at least since Wal Mart snagged the exclusive for the new AC/DC opus "Black Ice" earlier this year-- Best Buy began selling the long awaited new recording by Guns n' Roses, "Chinese Democracy," on Sunday.

But stepping down the escalator at the chain's Chelsea story in New York City on Sunday, when a more than 17 year wait for original Guns n Roses material ended, it would have been easy to walk by the modest display box with the Chinese Democracy CDs and vinyl LP's. There were few other signs of CDs being available, and the store was not blasting it on the P.A. system as a record store would have back in the old days.

It was a far cry from the scenes in 1991, when fans waited in long lines outside record stores in cities around the world for the band's "Use Your Illusion" two-CD set.

But then again, 1991 was a long time before iTunes, Apple's online music store, made its debut. While Best Buy has the exclusive on "Chinese Democracy" in actual stores, the 14-song set is available on iTunes too, unlike the AC/DC record which can only be bought at Wal-Mart stores (and to accommodate Wal-Mart free New York City, at MTV's store in Times Square.)

And for all the quiet at the Chelsea store on Sunday afternoon, the new Guns n Roses is a clear early hit, with iTunes on Monday morning ranking it the #1 album in the U.S.

Either way, we'll know how well the CD did both online and at Best Buy next week, when Billboard reports its debut on the record charts.

(Photo/Reuters)