Toys R Us focuses on key trends as Christmas looms

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Toys R Us has revealed the four top trends that it expects to influence toy sales in the months leading up to Christmas.

Toys R Us has revealed the four top trends that it expects to influence toy sales in the months leading up to Christmas. The company’s merchandising team has analysed the emerging toy trends among kids in the US and around the world, sourcing data from trade shows, hit online videos and testing products in its stores.

Toys R Us (US) senior vice-president and chief merchandising officer Karen Dodge said: “We’re excited to share our insights about the types of toys we believe will create big smiles on little faces.”

The company says that these will be App-cessories, quirky stuffed characters, reverse tech and ‘gross is good’. App-cessories include toys that interact with devices such as mobile phones and tablet PCs, which are becoming popular as more children play on their parents’ devices. Pixar’s Cars 2 Appmates is among these toys. The reverse tech trend brings to life digital characters from games and movies into the real world in the form of traditional games, construction sets and plush characters.

Toys R Us faces tough online competition from Amazon this season. Earlier this year, Amazon built its online toy offering and is increasing market share. Toy stores including The Entertainer are now selling via Amazon. Also, parents are finding it increasingly convenient to shop for these items online.

Toys R Us has announced that it is expanding its ecommerce business with enhancements to its online service, pick-up in-store service and the opening of a new distribution centre. The company has teamed up with a number of manufacturers on exclusive items this year.

The company has expanded its Christmas lay-away programme to help consumers budget for Christmas and to encourage them to reserve items early. Walmart has also realised that consumers will need more time to buy this holiday season when budgets will be tight. The retailer is planning to introduce its own toy range called Kid Connection, which will be priced reasonably, keeping the tight budgets in mind.

Toys R Us businesses are highly seasonal and financial performance is dependent on the results of the fourth quarter of each financial year. During the holiday season Toys R Us increasingly expands its presence through temporary Express stores in malls and shopping centres. The company has also introduced some new products and initiatives that it hopes will differentiate its offering this Christmas.