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Toys 'R' Us Details Top Toy Trends for the 2004 Holiday Season
The World's Toy Store Reveals The Five Gift Giving Themes That Have Emerged
This Holiday Season
WAYNE, N.J., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys "R" Us has identified five
categories that shoppers are seeking out as they begin their holiday shopping.
Early indications from holiday shoppers show several trends emerging for the
2004 holiday season, most notably items in the portable entertainment,
interactive learning, updated classics, interactive gameplay and cool vehicles
categories.
"Each holiday season there are a number of distinct product categories that are
especially popular with consumers," said John Barbour, president, Toys "R" Us,
U.S. "This year's trends illustrate the broadening definition of what toys mean
to kids today versus ten years ago. These trends reflect those we see in
facets of everyday life, including the influence of new technology and the
rebirth of classics."
Outlined below are the five key toy trends and the strongest items within these
trend categories that Toys "R" Us has identified this holiday season:
Trend #1: Portable Entertainment
Following the lead of the consumer electronics industry, the toy industry has
introduced a variety of new portable entertainment products geared towards kids
on the move. Parents and kids alike have embraced the convenience of portable
devices that play music, videos and games and occupy children during long road
trips or other periods of downtime. There has been keen interest in some new
innovations, including VideoNow(TM) Color and VideoNow(TM) Jr. personal video
players by Hasbro, which allow kids to watch their favorite programs while on
the go; Game Boy(R) Advance SP, with an ever-growing list of games and videos;
and Nintendo's Game Boy(R) Dual Screen, which comes to market November 21.
These items are anticipated to be among the season's most sought after in the
portable entertainment category.
Trend #2: Interactive Learning
Interactive toys purchased by parents as educational tools for their children,
are becoming "must haves." These devices appeal to a wide range of children
from six months to those in their teens, and provide lessons that mirror school
curricula, including early learning skills, geography and math. Heading up the
list of teaching toys for the pre-school set are the new V.Smile(TM) TV
Learning System by V-Tech and InteracTV(TM) by Fisher-Price. LeapFrog also has
a number of great learning toys for a wide range of ages, including the
iQuest(TM) Handheld, an expandable study system, for children in grades five
through eight.
Trend #3: Updated Classics
This year, a number of standard toy classics have been updated to appeal to
today's savvy youth market. Crayola(R) Color Wonder(TM) brand -- the mess-free
line of markers and finger paints by Binney and Smith, allows little ones to be
creative without making a mess. Even the perennial classic Candy Land(R) by
Hasbro Games has had a facelift with its more contemporary King Kandy, Mr. Mint
and Princess Frostine characters. Ms. Pac-Man(TM) and Atari(R) video games are
also back and captivating new competitors in the Plug & Play Games category,
which is led by Jakks Pacific. And the delicate game of Operation(R) by Hasbro
Games now has a new patient, the big green ogre, Shrek. This new adaptation
allows players to cure Shrek's many ailments such as ear wax, heartburn and toe
jam.
Trend #4: Interactive Gameplay
The convergence of electronics and play has brought a whole new dimension to
gaming -- and enhanced the experience. One of the most relevant trends within
this category is combining DVD technology with board games. Hasbro Games
joined this game craze last year with its Trivia Pursuit(R) Pop Culture DVD
edition, and picks up momentum this year by introducing its Trivia Pursuit(R)
Saturday Night Live DVD edition, featuring hilarious sketches, famous
impressions and unforgettable characters from the popular late-night show. In
addition, Mattel has launched the Scene It?(TM) DVD game series taking
gamesmanship to another level with movie and television trivia, and a special
Disney challenge. Additionally, Lazer Tag(R) Team Ops from Hasbro takes the
well-known game of tag to the ultimate end with Head's Up Display, LCD screen
and easy team-play programming.
Trend #5: Cool Vehicles
From souped up to sleek, manufacturers have created a whole new line of RC cars
and ride-on vehicles -- in many cases creating almost exact replicas of their
life-sized counterparts. Young drivers can experience an array of rides that
have true-life accessories: front and rear wheel suspension, speed and digital
proportional steering, working headlights, radios and more! Just like a
dealership lot, there are scores of models available in a variety of sizes from
miniature to 1:6 scale to ride-on, including the Fast Lane R/C Ford T-350 and
Fast Lane R/C Hummer(R) and Corvette(R) C5-R Power Vehicle by Safety 1st. For
biking enthusiasts, the coolest bike this year is the Sting-Ray by Schwinn. A
popular bike in the 60s, this stylish ride evokes fond memories for adults and
an awesome new biking alternative for kids. The all-terrain cycle comes with
decorative spokes, a riveted flat-back saddle and extra wide tires.
About Toys "R" Us
Toys "R" Us is one of the leading specialty toy retailers in the world.
Currently it sells merchandise through more than 1,200 stores, including 680
toy stores in the U.S. and 598 international toy stores, including licensed and
franchise stores as well as through its Internet sites at
http://www.toysrus.com/, http://www.imaginarium.com/ and
http://www.sportsrus.com/. Babies "R" Us is the largest baby product specialty
store chain in the world and a leader in the juvenile industry, and sells
merchandise through 211 stores in the U.S. as well as on the Internet at
http://www.babiesrus.com/.
DATASOURCE: Toys "R" Us
CONTACT: Kelly Cullen, +1-646-366-8822, , or
Kathleen Waugh, +1-646-366-8823, , both of Toys "R" Us,
Inc.
Web site: http://www.toysrus.com/