It will soon be Christmas and many of us are starting to think about what gifts to buy this year. Shopping early for Christmas is always wise – and that’s very true this year.
Many retailers overstocked last year. They then had to offer large discounts in order to empty the shelves. Coupled with the fact that the economic climate is, whilst improving, still somewhat less than rosy, it’s not hard to see why a lot of retailers have opted for relatively low stock levels this year.
It may well become difficult to find toys and other popular gift items as we get closer to Christmas. Toys in particular could be in short supply. Whilst retailers may attempt to arrange for new stock to be delivered to respond to customer demand, the fact that most toys these days are manufactured in China means that the delivery time tends to be at least four to six weeks. Refilling empty shelves may not be an option.
One of the best selling toys so far this year is Zhu Zhu Pets. These are a collection of five robotic hamsters, complete with an array of toys and accessories, which incorporate artificial intelligence. This lets them interact both with the children playing with them and their surroundings. Zhu Zhu pets were only released in August of 2009 – and kids are going crazy for them. As long as stocks don’t run out, they look certain to be the top selling Xmas toy this year.
Even now they are becoming hard to find – and prices are rising sharply. You can now find third party vendors on both Amazon and eBay selling them for considerably more than the recommended retail price.
However, if you can’t get hold of the latest fad toy, or if you object to paying inflated prices for a fad that may well fizzle out in a few months, then you could consider a more traditional toy instead. Many of these will not be the very latest craze – but the fact that they have stood the test of time speaks volumes.
As an example, if you were looking for a gift for a young boy, a son or nephew perhaps, a train set is always a popular, if somewhat unimaginative, choice. A good Hornby Dublo train set will last for years and will still be giving children enjoyment when the latest fad has fizzled out and been replaced by something newer.
The same reasoning could apply equally well to old favourites such as Monopoly, Scrabble and Lego. These have been proven to be perennial favorites, over generations, and many have adapted to better meet the demands of modern day children.
December 26th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
great article thanks for sharing.