The final weekend of Christmas shopping is upon us. . .
TRU Remains Open for 88 Hours
With hours like this, there’s no excuse not to shop. Toys “R” Us announced that its stores nationwide will remain open for 88 consecutive hours beginning at 6 am on Tuesday, December 21 and continuing through 10 pm on Christmas Eve (where allowed by local ordinances). This is the first time that all Toys “R” Us stores across the country will stay open 24-hours per day during the final countdown to Christmas. Taking the plan a few steps further, Toys “R” Us Times Square will remain open from 6 am on Friday, December 17 through 10 pm on Christmas Eve, providing gift-givers with 184 continuous hours of shopping.
Additionally, on Tuesday, December 21 and Wednesday, December 22, the company’s final two-day sale of the season will offer holiday shoppers numerous deals and values, with savings of 50 percent or more on featured items. Toys “R” Us will offer Midnight Madness deals valid in-store from midnight through 6 am each day, beginning at midnight December 22. These offers will be sent to customers each day via email.
Here are just some of the offers that shoppers will find:
- Free $50 Toys “R” Us Gift Card with the purchase of Nintendo Wii Game System and Wii Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (in-store only)
- Free Hot Wheels 10-Car Pack with the purchase of Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Track Set, which has $9.99 value
- Buy One, Get Two Free Transformers 2 Fast Action Battlers
- Buy One, Get One 50 percent off of all video game accessories priced up to $19.99 (in-store only)
- Over 50 percent off Riptunes 2GB MP3 Player—was $29.99; now $14.47
- 50 percent off Baby Alive Real Surprises Baby Doll—was $39.99; now $19.99
- 50 percent off Imaginarium Spiral Train Set—was $49.99; now $24.99
- 50 percent off all Liv Dolls, Sets, and Accessories—prices vary
- Save $150 on Big Backyard Carlisle Wood Gym Set—was $499.99; now $349.99
- Save $81 on Coby 19” LED High Definition TV—was $229.99; now $148.99
- Save $60 on Power Wheels Kawasaki Brute Force—was $299.99; now $239.99
- Sale on Mattel’s Sing-a-ma-Jigs!—was $12.99; now $9.99 each
Walmart’s Toys and More Event
Not to be outdone, Walmart announced its own final-days-before-Christmas event. Walmart is introducing its Toys and More event with big savings on top toys and electronics, as well as select home appliances and apparel for this final shopping weekend before Christmas. Beginning this Friday, December 17, Walmart stores will offer savings up to $50 on many top toys and electronics, including gift cards ranging up to $100 on electronics. Customers can also save up to 50 percent on select cookware and appliances.
Walmart says that this weekend before Christmas is anticipated to be its busiest shopping weekend of the holiday season. Walmart’s upcoming weekend savings event gives customers the chance to save on gifts they want and receive bonus Walmart gift cards. Walmart stores will also continue to match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product right at the register.
The savings event begins at 9 pm on Friday, December 17, and goes through Sunday, December 19 or while supplies last. Examples of holiday savings and gift card offers available this weekend include:
- Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6: now $15 ($5 savings)
- Kung Zhu Hamsters: now $4 ($5 savings)
- Paper Jamz AC/DC Guitar with Bonus Strap: now $15 ($9 savings)
- Air Hogs Havoc: now $19.97 ($10 savings)
- 32-inch Samsung LCD HDTV: $348 plus bonus $50 Walmart Gift Card
- Nintendo Wii (includes two free games and additional controller): $199 plus bonus $75 Walmart Gift Card
- PlayStation 3 160GB Video Game System: $299 plus bonus $100 Walmart Gift Card
- Magnavox Wi-Fi Blu-ray Disc Player: $118 plus bonus $40 Walmart or Walmart.com Gift Card
- TomTom XL 335SE 4.3” GPS: now $99 ($19 savings) plus bonus $30 Walmart or Walmart.com Gift Card
CPSC Bans Drop-Side Cribs
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced it is banning cribs with drop-down sides because they have been blamed for the deaths of at least 32 infants since 2001.
The announcement from the office of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who has pushed for such a ban, says new federal crib standards will take effect in June 2011, stopping the sale, manufacture, resale, and distribution of drop-side cribs. The new rules also will prohibit dropside crib use at motels, hotels, and child care facilities.
The CPSC’s new standards also will require mattress supports to be stronger, crib hardware to be sturdier, and more rigorous safety testing of baby beds.
The CPSC, the government’s top regulator of children’s products, says cribs with dropdown sides have hidden hazards that can cause strangulation or suffocation. Drop-side cribs have been recalled by the millions.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), a non-profit association dedicated to promoting the industry and the safe selection and use of juvenile products, has filed comments in support of a timely and orderly transition to the new standard.
The members of the JPMA have been testing full size and non-full size cribs to the new voluntary (ASTM) standard, which mirrors in most ways the proposed federal regulation, since it was first published in 2009. Because of this early adoption, there will be a negligible impact to manufacturers upon passing of the final rule in terms of product being able to meet the new federal standard. However, JPMA is concerned that there be a timely and orderly transition to products which meet the new standard so as to ensure enough product in the marketplace by the compliance date without the burden of retesting already safe product.
JPMA does anticipate impact on the cost to be in compliance with the new mandatory rule to the manufacturers from a material standpoint. JPMA estimates the impact to be upwards of approximately 10 percent due to additional materials being utilized in order to meet some of the new requirements.