Electronic entertainment geared for kids is especially big this year.
It is very tough for products to get into Wal-Mart and if they don't perform well, they're out.
Spider-Man 2 will be huge for the toy industry. I expect hundreds of thousands of licensed merchandise (items) to be sold in the first nine months of the year.
His return is a big positive for the industry. It will spur everyone on, especially in terms of pushing the limits of technology.
The dominant trend this year is more toys based on technology.
It was a tough year, ... We didn't have a hot toy and we didn't have a big movie to push sales of licensed products.
In order for the toy industry to survive, companies will have to deal with Wal-Mart. It has to be understood that Wal-Mart doesn't make deals with everyone who approaches them. Ultimately it's Wal-Mart who chooses who will be in their stores.
I think Toys R Us will continue to run some kind of toy operation in the future. But in order to still be competitive, it will need to slim down considerably and run probably around 450 to 500 stores.
Parents and kids still love the retailer because it still sells three times as many toys as a Wal-Mart or a Target. It still has the best selection of toys and games out there. The toy manufacturers certainly want to see it around and that's why many are giving it more exclusive deals to sell a number of their toys.
Copyright © 2024 Electric Goat Media. All Rights Reserved.