Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Tablet computers, turtles and a new take on a furry old-timer are the hot toys retailers and manufacturers hope will spark a rebound from a dismal 2011 festive season, according to a closely watched ‘Most Wanted’ list released at the weekend.
The industry is not just counting on best-selling toys to generate joy at the cash register. Major retailers are pushing more attractive layaway plans to lure shoppers into stores.
Among this year’s hot toys is LeapFrog Enterprises Inc’s $99.99 (BD38) LeapPad 2 Explorer tablet, an update on last year’s massive hit. The tablet made Time to Play’s Holiday 2012 Most Wanted List, which is a hot read for toy industry executives.
Time to Play’s list includes returning old classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures; a princess wedding castle play set for Hasbro’s My Little Pony; Lego Friends and an update of Hasbro’s 1990s toy, Furby, pictured above.
Newer characters like Just Play’s Doc McStuffins could be a hit. The doll based on the Disney Junior show has landed on lists from Time to Play, Toys R Us and Toy Insider. Other items on the list include Thomas & Friends’s Steam and Speed remote control by Mattel unit Fisher-Price, and Winx Club Everyday Concert Collections by Jakks Pacific Inc.
Shoppers will have more options when it comes to paying for presents. Toys R Us has introduced a programme that lets shoppers reserve any 50 toys on a list it will draw up by making a 20 per cent down payment in person at its stores by October 31.
