Walmart Announces Holiday Toy List
Earlier this week, Walmart announced its hot holiday toy list. Walmart says the list was chosen by kids ages 18 months through age 12. Walmart organized the list by trend category.
Walmart also announced that its free holiday layaway program kicks off in stores on Friday, September 12. There will be an expanded list of eligible layaway products this year including toys, entertainment items, and sporting goods.
Also starting now and throughout the holiday season, all of the top 20 toys will be covered under Walmart’s Savings Catcher online receipt-comparison tool. If a top local competitor offers a lower advertised price on those or other eligible items, the customer get the difference on a Walmart eGift Card. Walmart says that customers who prefer to shop online or on their mobile devices, can get free delivery to more than 4,000 Walmart stores nationwide and directly to their door for select purchases.
Here is the 2014 List:
Creativity and Crafts
Sew Cool Sewing Machine—Spin Master
Beados Quick Dry Design Station—Moose Toys
Make Your Case Cell Phone Cover Kit—Maya Group
Big Licenses for Movie, TV Fans
Snow Glow Elsa Doll—Jakks Pacific
Doc McStuffins Get Better Talking Mobile—Just Play
Disney Palace Pets Magic Dance Pumpkin—Blip Toys
Ride-ons, Scooters, and Racing Cars
(Walmart says that it added this category to the kids’ focus group for the first time this year and this one item was the overwhelming favorite.)
Crazy Cart Spinning Go Kart—Razor
Electronic Toys
Flutterbye Light Up Fairy—Spin Master
Zoomer Dino—Spin Master
LeapTV—LeapFrog
Kidizoom Smartwatch—VTech
FurReal Friends Get Up and GoGo My Walkin’ Pup Pet—Hasbro
Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser Racer—Spin Master
Classic Toys and Activities
Hot Wheels Street Remote Control Flying Car—Mattel
Nerf N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2-in-1 Blaster—Hasbro
Airstorm Firetech Bow—Zing
Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate Amazement Park Playset—VTech
Barbie Glam Camper—Mattel
Hot Wheels Track Builder Total Turbo Takeover—Mattel
Little People Musical Preschool—Fisher-Price
TRU Announces Store Improvements for this Holiday Season
Toys “R” Us announced plans this week to improve the consumer’s shopping experience during this holiday season. TRU announced changes to its leadership team earlier this week, concluded its inventory clearance event to make way for hot new holiday products, improved its in-stock position, strengthened customer relationships with enhanced service offerings, and redeployed capital for store maintenance, according to Toys “R” Us.
TRU also announced the launch of the company’s new Rewards “R” Us loyalty program, the introduction of free online layaway, and ways it is making it easier and faster for shoppers to find the toys they want through TRU’s new “Here’s What’s Hot” and “Gift Express” shops, in-aisle “Top Gift” suggestions, as well as its curated online Gift Finder. TRU also noted that the company will continue to offer its Price Match Guarantee for store and online competitors, a $49 everyday free shipping offer, and enhanced omnichannel capabilities including In-Store Pick Up.
Oznoz, Nelvana in Content Deal
Oznoz, the online channel for bilingual kids, announced a partnership with Nelvana Enterprises. With this deal, more than 400 half-hour episodes of Nelvana’s properties will be available to U.S. consumers beginning this month in Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, French, German, and Korean exclusively on Oznoz, increasing the platform’s total offering to more than 2,000 hours of entertainment. This is the first time Nelvana’s library will be available to U.S. audiences in so many languages. Nelvana joins kids’ content providers Sesame Street and HIT Entertainment, which have also signed multi-year exclusive deals with Oznoz.
Trending on TTPM: Riding Toys
TTPM is showcasing what’s trending in each specific product category. Today it’s Riding Toys. This trending list is determined by consumers. It’s the number of page views for that item in the previous 30 days and is updated every 24 hours.