In a new kind of season, retro is theway to go
Nostalgia, boredom and more family time driving holiday toy sales
Aholiday season like none other approaches, driving shoppers who have been cooped up for months to seek diversion and respite from a tumultuous year even as the specter of a new round of shutdowns looms as coronavirus cases spike.
It is an alchemy that is driving consumers to snap up retro-faves such as Beyblade spinning toys and
Lego Super Mario Bros as toy industry analysts predict old-school revivals will bring generations together this year. At the same time, shoppers are flexing their buying power in greater numbers from the comfort and safety of home.
Even before the holiday shopping season began people were clamoring for toys to sweeten the pandemic slog, and James Zahn, editor of Toy Insider, said that bodes well for holiday toy sales. While many retailers have suffered after the coronavirus hit, the U.S. toy industry soared by 19 percent during the first three quarters of 2020, buoyed especially by outdoor toys, games, puzzles and building sets, according to the retail tracker NPD Group.
And more holiday shoppers are flocking to e-commerce than every before, analysts report, with toys among the top performers. Amazon Prime Day in October grew 54 percent from last year, according to NPD Group — contributing, too, to soaring toy sales.
Retailers with well-oiled curbside pickup practices are also drawing more customers, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which reports 30 percent growth in curbside pickup on Cyber Monday from last year, especially as shoppers look to avoid shipping delays while the pandemic holiday season batters couriers. Still, Adobe found that 45 percent of shoppers preferred oneday shipping for last-minute buys, compared to curbside pickup at 37 percent.
Even as toy sales started soaring early in the pandemic, toy manufacturers reported declines amid production slowdowns and as retailers were hesitant to restock, Zahn said. But
those issues corrected themselves in the third quarter, with both Hasbro and Mattel reporting around 10 percent growth in sales.
“It is unusual for everyone to have success at the same time. It usually is a rollercoaster,” he said. “Right now sales are strong for everyone.”
Pandemic buying trends are playing out at Fundamentally Toys at Rice Village, where Legos, puzzles and micro scooters have been flying off the shelves.
“We’ve seen an increase in those because people need more to do with the family,” said Cliff Moss, the store manager.
Houstonians are also on the hunt for hilarity this year, said Carol Staley, owner of the children’s store Tomfoolery. Adults have been coming in and buying fart toys, she said. She’s also sold a surprising number of prank pull-back roaches to grandmothers at the register.
“They’re looking for the smile,” Staley said. “They’re looking for things that make them feel better.”
Chess-related items are on the rise among holiday shoppers, according to Adobe Digital Insights — sales are up 300 percent in November compared to October following the release of the Netflix hit “Queen’s Gambit.” Adobe found top-sellers on Cyber Moday included vTech brand toys, hoverboards, Xbox Series X and the Nintendo Switch.
Sony Playstation also has a new console, the coveted Playstation 5, but supply has been scarce since the product’s November launch. More people are gaming during the pandemic, NPD Group reports, and they’re also spending more time and money doing it — people between ages 45 and 54 are spending 59 percent more time gaming and 76 percent more money on the hobby.
Favorites from Christmases past still performing well, according to NPD data, include the fashion doll line L.O.L Surprise, Disney Frozen and Paw Patrol, a line of canine figurines dressed as first responders.
NPD reports many of the current top sellers also include legacy brands like Barbie, Marvel, Pokemon, Nerf, Hot Wheels and Star Wars, whose baby Yoda likenesses are “bonkers right now” thanks to “The Mandalorian,” which premiered on Disney+ late last year.
“Baby Yoda will be under many trees this year,” Zahn said.
A new-to-market plush toy, a singalong version of Blue, the dog who starred in the hit ’90s children’s show “Blue’s Clues,” has resonated with millennial parents, Zahn said. “That’s been moving like crazy.”
Other retro brands getting updates are GI Joe, Tonka and Care Bears.
“There’s a lot that families are enjoying together because it’s cross-generational,” he said.
The pandemic aside, Zahn said, it has been a standout year for toy launches.
“It’s kind of just a perfect storm of fresh new toys, updates to legacy brands and innovations across the board,” he said.
New innovations capturing young audiences include Zoe, a doll that encourages kids to appreciate their natural curls, and the Kidizoom Creator Cam, a kid-friendly camera rig that empowers kids to be the next YouTube sensation.
Capitalizing on the rise of child YouTube sensation Love, Diana, Pocket. watch recently debuted a line of Love, Diana dolls sold exclusively at Walmart.
The line dovetails with the company’s expansion of a line of products surrounding another child YouTube sensation, Ryan’s World.
The rise of child social media stars has spurred the popularity of toys such as vTech’s Kidizoom, Zahn said, which plays to children’s desire to create selfie videos for the masses. (The kiddie camera has on-screen editing capabilities and 20 animated backgrounds designed for children age 5 and up.)
“Kids years go would want to be movie stars,” Zahn said. “Now they wanna be on TikTok.”