Cheaper for Brits to buy toys in US
British families face paying much higher prices than Americans for the same must-have Christmas toys.
Toys set to top millions of children’s wishlists are still cheaper across the Atlantic.
They include the Chip Robot Dog, which industry leaders have named as among the 12 most popular toys this year.
It is on sale from Amazon in the UK for £199.99. The same present on the online retailer’s American website costs £157.20, excluding a £5.97 shipping charge.
The survey by our sister paper the Sunday Mirror also shows another toy tipped as a top seller, a Star Wars Spinning Light Saber, is £44.99 in the UK but costs £25.35 in the States.
And a Paw Patrol Air Patroller plane, based on TV series Paw Patrol, is £ 39.99 here and £27.77 in the US.
British toy retailers say they face higher costs for freight while overheads such as business rates do not exist in America.
But critics say the price gap is further evidence of how global brands selling everything from clothes to music downloads routinely force Brits to pay more.
Marc Gander, founder of the Consumer Action Group, said: “It really seems unfair that we are being seen as a source of quick profit compared to other markets.
“There’s no reason for the same toy to cost more in the UK than in America.”