With Christmas two weeks away, the retail patterns emerging are of strong interest to the wider economy – the high street is given a much-needed boost and the trends we see in December will most likely be indicative of things to come in 2013.
Top Toys for Christmas – Childrens Gift Inspiration
As we’ve noticed for some time now, there is a strong retro and nostalgic feel to popular brands and toys being released at the moment. Toys that many of us recognise from our childhoods, such as the Furby, the Tamagotchi and the Cabbage Patch Dolls are making a huge comeback, with Hasbro’s new Furby toy line predicted to top the toy charts this Christmas.
Old favourites such as Lego, which is a very clever brand with its constant rejuvenation, will be near the top of the list, with its licensed offerings from The Hobbit and Star Wars films, among others. We are also seeing a strong trend in ‘tablets’ for children. As any parent will know, young children are highly capable of operating an iPad or smart phone, so products such as the InnoTab, LeapPad and Kurio will be hugely popular this year – this is a real sign of the times and the information age that we live in.
Moshi Monsters is a great example of a brand that has grown rapidly in the last few years, without having its roots in a TV show or film. The collectible monsters, with the website dubbed ‘facebook for kids’ will have another successful Christmas retail season.
Family interaction is another trend, and a welcome one to parents. Board games such as Scrabble and Pictionary remain popular, and in the top Christmas list complied by the Toy Retailer’s Association, toys such as Twister Dance and Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire encourage activity and fun in children.
Looking at the retail industry from a wider point of view, online shopping has grown exponentially, which of course has meant the high street stores have been hit. These, and other economic woes, have led the way for innovation however, and retailers have presented year-long sales and promotions to tempt shoppers through their doors. It will be interesting to see if the long-hailed Boxing Day sales bring a boost, or if people do not notice much difference in price as they would have in previous years.
Another strong retail trend over the past few years has been the rise of the all-encompassing supermarkets, led in many ways by Tesco.
Now, in some of these giant hypermarkets, one can shop for toys, clothes, a TV, a dining table and food all under one roof. It remains to be seen if eventually this will lead to the absolute shrinking of the traditional high street, but in hard times, people think about cost first and saving independent shops second. In fact, supermarkets make up the top five of the major UK retailers, swiftly followed by Amazon, and John Lewis – whose online sales have increased 40% this year alone.
Guest Blog from Rebecca Ash, Editor of Total Licensing Magazine. The home of independent, authoritative information on all aspects of licensing and merchandising worldwide.