Pokémon a sure bet for Santa’s helpers

COMING off its best Christmas in years, the US toy industry is wagering that the Pokémon Go craze will dominate children’s wish lists.

Pokémon-branded video games from Nintendo and a plush Pikachu character that wiggles its ears from Tomy highlight the Toy Insider’s Hot 20 list, an industry publication’s best guess at what items will be the most coveted this season.

The Pokémon Go mobile app, released in July, has been downloaded more than 500 million times.

“Pokémon Go is a fresh look at Pokémon,” said Laurie Schacht, publisher of Toy Insider. “The toys and video games are skyrocketing.”

Last year, the US toy industry grew 6.7%, according to NPD Group. That momentum has continued in the first half of this year: sales gained 7.5%, with Star Wars, Hasbro’s Nerf, Shopkins and Pokémon among the biggest brands, according to the researcher.

Walt Disney’s release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens late last year — the first film from the blockbuster franchise in a decade — has boosted the industry. But although another Star Wars movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, comes out in December, just one Star Wars toy made the list — a Lego construction set of an X-wing fighter.

Some toys without ties to major entertainment franchises may be poised to sell well. Moose Toys’ Shopkins, a popular collection of plastic figurines, has an item on the list. There’s also Hasbro’s Speak Out, a game that challenges people to talk while wearing a mouthpiece. The item comes after the surprise success of a bare-bones game called Pie Face last year.

The Toy Insider also released a list of top tech toys, ranging from $200 (about R2 700) for an Air Hogs drone from Spin Master to Mattel’s Hello Barbie Dreamhouse for $300, which offers speech recognition.

Toys R Us CEO Dave Brandon said technologically advanced items had a market but the average price for toys had declined, which should generate more spending.

“If Johnny has a Christmas list, and the first item costs $250, then Johnny is going to get one item,” said Brandon, who joined the struggling retailer last July.

“There are lots of ways to build sales and share through price points that are more affordable and appeal to more families.” — Bloomberg