Barnes & Nobles to Host Hatchimals Day Event
Barnes & Noble will host a special “Hatchimals Day” event to celebrate the new Hatchibabies in select stores on Saturday, October 6 at 2 p.m.
Barnes & Noble booksellers will tell the new, untold story of the Hatchimals Hatchibabies, alongside an interactive demonstration, play activities (coloring, activities, and a selfie-station for photos), and free giveaways of special Hatchimal-related surprises, while supplies last.
Customers can share their photos of the fun using the hashtag, #HatchAtBarnes. Customers should contact their local Barnes & Noble store or visit the Barnes & Noble Store Locator to see if Hatchimals Day is taking place in their area, and they can sign up for the event at BN.com.
The new Hatchimals Hatchibabies will be available for purchase in stores starting on Friday, October 5.
Grandparents are the Fastest Growing Segment of Online Toy Consumers
Grandparents account for about one-quarter of sales, or nearly $7 billion, within the $28 billion U.S. toy industry, according to findings from The NPD Group’s latest report, The Power of Grandparents within the U.S. Toy Industry.
Compared to other consumer segments, the market for grandparents is stealing the spotlight in more ways than one. While parents spend the most on toys, grandparents’ spending growth in the last 12 months exceeded nearly all other consumer segments, including parents. In addition, grandparents’ online spend has grown at a faster rate than any other toy consumers.
With more than one-third of grandparents’ toy sales going toward kids ages 2-4, grandparents over-index on shopping for categories that cater to younger ages—particularly infant, toddler, and preschool toys, and outdoor and sports toys (bubble toys/solution, playground equipment, and ride-ons).
Eighty-five percent of grandparents shopped in a physical store for toys in the last year, while 72 percent shopped online. However, the online channel is growing more than two-times faster for grandparents compared to the rest of the market, and grandparents spend 3.5 times more per toy online than they do in-store. In addition, more than 60 percent of grandparents that previously shopped at Toys “R” Us report that they will be shopping for toys online in the future.