Christmas comes but once a year - and when it does, it is a very important time for retailers. It can mean the difference between a good year and a bad year. So it's no surprise that so much effort goes into predicting what the best selling items will be every year.
It's especially critical in the toys and games sector. Each year there seems to be one particular toy that is the "must have" toy of the year. In no particular order we have seen Buzz Lightyear, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Beyblades, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furbies claim the crown in previous years.
As a general rule, these toys will spend one year only as the best seller. Clearly a lot of these toys are still around - but they won't claim the number one slot this year. A lot of them won't even break into the top twenty best sellers.
Fads and fashion notwithstanding, there are some toys which are popular choices every year. They have withstood the test of time spanning different generations of children in many cases. For example, and again in no particular order - Monopoly, Lego, G.I. Joe, train sets, Cluedo, Scrabble and Barbie have all been around for years. They may not top the best sellers list this Christmas - but they will be in the top twenty or thirty toys year on year.
Looking at the current sales figure this year, it seems likely that Zhu Zhu Pets - a gang of five motorized hamsters - will be this years Christmas hit. That supposes that the buying public will be able to find them in the shops of course - demand does seem to be much higher than supply. Already, they can be found on eBay, needless to say, for prices well in excess of the official sales price. This seems to happen every year around Christmas and toy manufacturers and retailers have been accused of deliberately setting stock levels low to induce a sense of buyer urgency in the past.
Whilst this almost seems to have become a part of our modern day Christmas tradition, whether or not it is a deliberate ploy is debatable. What is certain is that it very often takes only a few weeks after Christmas for last year's expensive "must have" toy to become old news. More traditional toys, on the other hand, are generally still used and enjoyed for a long period of time. Many of them will become cherished possessions and may even be passed on to the next generation of kids. That's exactly why the more traditional toys and games like Scrabble, Lego and Hornby Dublo trainsets etc. offer such great value for money and are the ideal gift at Christmas.
It's especially critical in the toys and games sector. Each year there seems to be one particular toy that is the "must have" toy of the year. In no particular order we have seen Buzz Lightyear, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Beyblades, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furbies claim the crown in previous years.
As a general rule, these toys will spend one year only as the best seller. Clearly a lot of these toys are still around - but they won't claim the number one slot this year. A lot of them won't even break into the top twenty best sellers.
Fads and fashion notwithstanding, there are some toys which are popular choices every year. They have withstood the test of time spanning different generations of children in many cases. For example, and again in no particular order - Monopoly, Lego, G.I. Joe, train sets, Cluedo, Scrabble and Barbie have all been around for years. They may not top the best sellers list this Christmas - but they will be in the top twenty or thirty toys year on year.
Looking at the current sales figure this year, it seems likely that Zhu Zhu Pets - a gang of five motorized hamsters - will be this years Christmas hit. That supposes that the buying public will be able to find them in the shops of course - demand does seem to be much higher than supply. Already, they can be found on eBay, needless to say, for prices well in excess of the official sales price. This seems to happen every year around Christmas and toy manufacturers and retailers have been accused of deliberately setting stock levels low to induce a sense of buyer urgency in the past.
Whilst this almost seems to have become a part of our modern day Christmas tradition, whether or not it is a deliberate ploy is debatable. What is certain is that it very often takes only a few weeks after Christmas for last year's expensive "must have" toy to become old news. More traditional toys, on the other hand, are generally still used and enjoyed for a long period of time. Many of them will become cherished possessions and may even be passed on to the next generation of kids. That's exactly why the more traditional toys and games like Scrabble, Lego and Hornby Dublo trainsets etc. offer such great value for money and are the ideal gift at Christmas.
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Get an update on the availability of the Zhu Zhu Hamsters - or have a look at a long term Christmas favorite - a Hornby Dublo train set.
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