Toys in the News: 4-30-13

By TDmonthly Staff
April 2013

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_{Toys in the News is updated Mon-Fri at 9:15 am PST}

Hasbro Continues To Lay Off Workers Despite Expansion Plans. April 30, 2013 — Rhode Island's toy making giant, Hasbro, has laid off over 50 employees this year in Rhode Island...

Price Matching Criticized From Wal-Mart to Toys ‘R’ Us. April 30, 2013 — This Easter, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. aired a television commercial promoting its Ad Match Guarantee. ..

Successful Retailers Learn That Fewer Choices Trigger More Sales. April 30, 2013 — Successful sales professionals in any field realize that they can improve the...

Activision CEO Kotick among top-paid CEOs in U.S. April 30, 2013 — Videogame publisher Activision Blizzard Inc's Chief Executive Robert Kotick received a total compensation of $64.9 million...

Sesame Street packaging gets a refresh. April 30, 2013 — Sesame Street has tapped Parham Santana, The Brand Extension Agency, to help it refresh...

Stock spotlight: Mattel toys with ways to sell more products. April 29, 2013 — Barbie is vacating her pink Malibu mansion and hunting for international digs...

Internet Sales Tax Coming Too Late for Some Stores. April 29, 2013 — Anita Demetropoulos, a Maine shopkeeper, figured she would never see the day when...

JAKKS Pacific's Loss Wider than Expected. April 29, 2013 — Toy maker JAKKS Pacific Inc.'s (JAKK) adjusted loss of $1.23 per share in the...

iPads in school: a toy or a tool? April 29, 2013 — At Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences in Granada Hills, every student has an iPad...

Impairment loss from Toys 'R' Us hits Vornado quarterly net income. April 26, 2013 — Vornado Realty Trust said Thursday that net income from its share of Toys "R'' Us Inc.'s fourth-quarter results...

THQ creditors claim hundreds of millions owed, include Double Fine, Microsoft, UFC. April 26, 2013 — Bankrupt publisher THQ has a lengthy list of creditors seeking money from...

JAKKS Pacific® Reports First Quarter Results for 2013. April 25, 2013 — JAKKS Pacific, Inc. reported results for the Company’s first quarter ended March 31, 2013. Net sales for the first quarter of 2013 increased...

Do Mattel Dolls Have DNA? April 25, 2013 — Forbes’ recent article on Mattel raises a survival issue with which all toymakers need to wrestle...

The Land of Nod Recalls Plush Dollies. April 25, 2013 — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a recall of about 2,500 Plush Dollies from The Land of Nod, sold exclusively at The Land of Nod stores and online at www.landofnod.com from October 2012 to March 2013 for about $30. The hands on the plush dolls can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should immediately take the recalled dolls away from the child and return the dolls to The Land of Nod for a full merchandise credit.

A Full Toy Chest Makes Mattel A Buy For Growth And Income Investors. April 24, 2013 — Mattel is the largest worldwide toymaker, and for good reason. Examine the...

Online Retailers Take Opposite Sides On Sales Tax Bill. April 24, 2013 — More online retailers would have to collect sales tax under a bill making...

Is Retail Ready to Run Again? April 24, 2013 — Aside from the flash crash that resulted from the false AP tweet...

Reed and Barton Recalls Gingham Bunny Forks and Spoons for Babies Due to Choking and Ingestion Hazards. April 24, 2013 — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a recall of about 4,000 Gingham Bunny forks and spoons for babies from Reed and Barton Corp., sold at Reed and Barton factory stores and various gift shops nationwide and online at www.reedandbarton.com from September 2012 through January 2013 for between $15 and $40. The pink coloring on the bunny’s ears can come off, posing choking and ingestion hazards to babies. Consumers should immediately take the recalled flatware away from infants and contact Reed and Barton for a full refund or free replacement flatware.

Russian Toy Fair Attracts 10,090 Visitors. April 23, 2013 — German organizer Spielwarenmesse has reported an 11.6 per cent visitor increase at its sixth Toys & Kids Russia exhibition...

NRF Commends Senate Vote On The Marketplace Fairness Act. April 23, 2013 — The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay:

Everything you need to know about the Senate’s online sales-tax bill. April 23, 2013 — This week, the Senate is considering a bill that would give states...

Where the Toys Come From: Inside Hasbro’s Model Workshop. April 23, 2013 — Designing toys takes sketching and planning and imagining, sure. But what's even more...

Activision PR boss took $29k from Call of Duty budget. April 23, 2013 — A former Activision PR boss in the UK has been convicted of defrauding the company...

Bankrupt THQ Finds Buyers for Games. April 23, 2013 — THQ has raised an additional $6.55 million from the sale of game properties...

Hasbro: Monopoly token naming contest lifts sales. April 22, 2013 — Hasbro reported first-quarter results Monday that beat Wall Street expectations as the toy maker...

How Lego Makes Safe, Quality, Diverse and Irresistible Toys Everyone Wants. April 22, 2013 — This is my second post on the legendary Lego. Let’s take...

Can 'Predictive Analytics' Help Retailers Dodge a J.C. Penney-Style Debacle? April 22, 2013 — The mass exodus of shoppers from J.C. Penney, prompted by the drastic store changes...

E.L. Konigsburg Dead: Award-Winning Children's Book Author Dies. April 22, 2013 — E.L. Konigsburg, an author who twice won one of the top honors for children's literature...

Former teacher takes lessons learned into educational retail journey. April 22, 2013 — If someone had told Mary Ann Benson’s students in the late ‘60’s that someday...

Mattel Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results and Declares Quarterly Dividend. April 19, 2013 — Mattel, Inc. today reported 2013 first quarter financial results. For the quarter, the Company reported net income of $38.5 million...

Final THQ auction raised $6-7 million, details expected Monday afternoons. April 19, 2013 — A recent disclosure statement on defunct publisher THQ notes the back catalog auction round...

Life After Barbie: Why Mattel Isn't Scared Of iPads And Video Games. April 19, 2013 — Head ten minutes south of LAX on the 405, exit at El Segundo and you’ll blunder upon a 200,000-square-foot...

Hasbro Invites Kids and Fans to Create New TRANSFORMERS Character. April 18, 2013 — For the first time in history, the Hasbro, Inc TRANSFORMERS brand is inviting fans of all ages around the globe to help create a new TRANSFORMERS character...

Disney's Infinity Game Platform Is Shattering Traditions. April 18, 2013 — How much of a departure is Disney Infinity for the Magic Kingdom...

Small World Toys Recalls Spin-A-Mals Farm and Safari Puzzles Due to Choking Hazard. April 17, 2013 — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a recall of about 4,000 Spin-A-Mals Farm and Safari Puzzles from Small World Toys, sold at toy stores nationwide and catalogs from May 2012 through October 2012 for about $25. Small pegs on the puzzle boards can loosen and separate from the boards, posing a choking hazard to children. Consumers should immediately take the puzzles away from children and contact Small World Toys for a free replacement toy. After contacting Small World Toys, the recalled toys should be destroyed and disposed of in a manner to prevent future use.

Huffy Recalls Slider Tricycles Due to Loss of Control Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Toys R Us. April 17, 2013 — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a recall of about 5,040 2012 Huffy® 20-Inch Slider Tricycles, sold exclusively at Toys R Us nationwide from January 2013 through February 2013 for about $100. The handlebar can unexpectedly loosen while in use, causing the rider to lose control. This poses crash and fall hazards for the rider. Consumers should immediately stop using the tricycle and contact Huffy for instructions on how to obtain a refund.

How Lego Became the Most Valuable Toy Company in the World. April 16, 2013 — "Guys, please don't take pictures of that," said the publicist ushering journalists around...

Proposed ban on violent video games in public spaces faces legal problems. April 16, 2013 — A state lawmaker in New Jersey is planning to introduce legislation that would prohibit public...

Six Retailers Announce Recall of Buckyballs and Buckycubes High-Powered Magnet Sets Due to Ingestion Hazard. April 15, 2013 — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with six retailers, is announcing the voluntary recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets sold by these companies. CPSC continues to warn that these products contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers...

Retail sales slip by 0.4% in March. April 15, 2013 — U.S. retail sales fell 0.4% in March, the biggest decrease in nine months....

‘My Little Pony’ Leads Kids Comics Charge. April 15, 2013 — Kids’ comics were a vital piece of the comics industry’s nearly 15% overall sales increase...

Carter’s Recalls Infant Clothing with Zippers Due to Choking Hazard. April 12, 2013 — The CPSC has announced a recall of about 218,000 one-piece footed infant clothing with a zipper from Carter's, Inc., sold at OshKosh B’gosh, Walmart and Target nationwide from December 2012 through January 2013 for between $7 and $20. Baby B’gosh sleepwear was also sold online at www.oshkoshbgosh.com. The zipper pull can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should immediately take the recalled clothing away from infants and return it to Carter’s for a full refund.

Disney Infinity Toy Box Trailer. April 12, 2013 — Disney has released this new "Toy Box" trailer for Disney Infinity, coming to...

Troll Dolls in DreamWorks’ Toy Chest. April 12, 2013 — With an animated film based on the Troll doll toy franchise already...

Mattel's 'Mexico Barbie' creates controversy. April 12, 2013 — Mattel's new "Mexico Barbie" has fired up a controversy regarding cultural diversity...

NRF Announces Industry Perception Campaign - This Is Retail: Careers, Community, Innovation. April 11, 2013 — The National Retail Federation will announce today a new initiative to broaden...

American Families Increasingly Let Kids Make Buying Decisions. April 11, 2013 — Breakfast is the most important meal of the day — so why are you letting your kid pick...

Hasbro selects Jones Lang LaSalle as property manager of its marketing HQ. April 11, 2013 — Hasbro Inc., a Rhode Island company known for such toys as GI Joe and Mr. Potato Head...

Analysts: Disney layoffs tied to Lucasfilm, Marvel acquisitions. April 11, 2013 — Walt Disney Co. has begun the process of laying off about 150 people...

Baby Socks Recalled by Trumpette Due to Choking Hazard. April 10, 2013 — The CPSC has announced a recall of about 33,000 pairs of “Aubree’s” and “Hearts” baby socks from Trumpette Inc., sold at Buy Buy Baby, Right Start and Trumpette stores nationwide and online at buybuybaby.com, rightstart.com and trumpette.com for about $15. The flowers and the bows on the baby socks can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should immediately take the recalled socks away from babies and remove the flowers or bows to eliminate the hazard, or return the socks to the place of purchase or Trumpette for a full refund or store credit.

Toy maker Tomy names new CEO. April 10, 2013 — Toy manufacturer Tomy International has promoted Gregory Kilrea to president and CEO...

Retail Industry Applauds New East And Gulf Coast Port Contract. April 10, 2013 — The National Retail Federation issued the following statement today from Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold...

The powerful, unstable explosive found in children's toys. April 9, 2013 — The cap guns that kids use and poppers that they throw at the ground...

Retail Imports To Increase 2.7 Percent In April. April 9, 2013 — With Customs officials saying they hope to minimize the impact of federal spending...

Mega Brands triples pay for top two execs on toy maker's financial recovery. April 9, 2013 — Mega Brands tripled compensation for its top two executives last year following a recovery...

NRF Key Votes The Preventing Greater Uncertainty In Labor-Management Relations Act. April 9, 2013 — The National Retail Federation today sent a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives...

Can the Boutique ‘Store-Within-a-Store’ Concept Save Big Box Retailers from Extinction? April 8, 201 3 — Last week, Best Buy introduced the Samsung Experience Shop. It’s a kiosk...

ShopperTrak: March 2013. April 8, 2013 — Shopper activity increased last month with the Easter holiday and students on spring break...

Developer Interview for Disney Infinity's Toy Box Mode. April 8, 2013 — At a recent event for Disney Infinity I had a close up look...

Exclusive: Disney to begin layoffs in studio, consumer products - sources. April 5, 2013 — Walt Disney Co expects to begin layoffs at its studio and consumer product divisions...

Dynacraft Recalls Urban Shredder Ride-On Toys Due to Fall Hazard. April 5, 2013 — The CPSC has announced a recall of about 8,900 Urban Shredder Ride-On Toys from Dynacraft BSC Inc., sold at Target, Toys R Us and Walmart stores and online at Amazon.com, Target.com, ToysRUs.com and Walmart.com from November 2012 to February 2013 for between $270 and $350. The Urban Shredder ride-on toys can unexpectedly accelerate and cause the rider to lose control, posing a fall hazard. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled toy, disconnect the battery and return the shredder to the store where purchased for a refund or store credit.

ToysRUs - Where are They Going? April 4, 2013 — There have been three pieces of news about ToysRUs lately – sales slipped both in the U.S. and internationally; the IPO awaited since 2010 has been postponed indefinitely; and Jerry Storch is relinquishing his position as CEO. There is little doubt that the company is facing serious problems and these could worsen over the next few months...

Doom Of The Toy Industry - Hasbro Falls To The Pits. April 4, 2013 — Toys are the tools of entertainment for children that keep children occupied...

Toys ’R’ Us Executives Depart Retailer After CEO Resigns. April 4, 2013 — Toys “R” Us Inc., the retailer that canceled its initial public offering last week, has had...

Study: Americans engaging in retail therapy. April 4, 2013 — A good amount of Americans, particularly women, are using shopping to improve their...

Shop.Org Brings Together Think Tank Of Industry Leaders. April 4, 2013 — Shop.org, the National Retail Federation’s digital division, is bringing together thought leading digital retail executives...

The Mouse Cleans House: Disney Shuts Down LucasArts. April 4, 2013 — Ask any fan of Star Wars: There’s a new Moff in town...

Aurora World Inks Licensing Deal with Hasbro. April 3, 2013 — Aurora World Inc. today announced in a press release a new licensing agreement with Hasbro, Inc. to launch a brand new line of soft and sparkly MY LITTLE PONY plush. Aurora will initially release 18 MY LITTLE PONY styles with suggested retail prices ranging from $15-$20.

Remote-Controlled Helicopters Recalled by Midwest Trading Group Due to Fire and Burn Hazards. April 3, 2013 — The CPSC is recalling 9,400 Remote-Controlled Banshee 3 Channel helicopters from Midwest Trading Group, sold at Ace Hardware, Alco, Discount Direct, Seen on Screen nationwide and VA Canteen Service and online including PulseTV.com from October 2011 through November 2011 for between $40 and $50. The rechargeable battery inside the helicopters can overheat and ignite the helicopter, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers or nearby items. Consumers should stop using the remote-controlled helicopters immediately and contact Midwest Trading Group for instructions on receiving a full refund.

LEGO: We’re Scrapping Star Wars Toy, But Not Because of Muslim Backlash. April 3, 2013 — In January we asked “Is this LEGO Star Wars toy racist?” in reference to...

Can Your Toy Choices Affect Your Kid's Future Career? April 3, 2013 — When I was young, my sister and I would sit in the den...

German toy maker moving headquarters to Charlotte. April 3, 2013 — A Germany-based toy manufacturer is moving its North American headquarters from Canada to north Charlotte...

Enduring declining profits, Toys R Us gives itself a timetable for turnaround. April 2, 2013 — Toys “R” Us Inc. is giving itself three years to reverse declining profits after...

Did Toys 'R Us Deliver a Big Warning for Retail? April 2, 2013 — Toys 'R Us has decided not to offer their shares publicly, as they had initially...

Consumer Reports: Polymer toy balls raise alarm. April 2, 2013 — They’re colorful and alluring, but Consumer Reports says there’s a potential safety hazard...

Harlem Mother Fights Mattel for Daughter’s Right to Black Barbie-Themed Fifth Birthday. April 2, 2013 — Georgia Braithwaite wanted to have a black Barbie-themed party for her fifth...

It's Official, Toys 'R Us Drops Plans for IPO. April 1, 2013 — Toys 'R Us on Friday withdrew its plans to take the nation's largest toy retailer public...

Toys'R'Us sales slip in Q4. April 1, 2013 — Toys“R”Us reported that sales for the fourth quarter decreased $155 million to $5.8 billion

Mattel CEO's compensation $11.9 million in 2012. April 1, 2013 — Bryan Stockton, the CEO of Mattel Inc., the largest U.S. toy maker, received compensation valued at $11.9 million in 2012...

Papercutz, Stardoll Ink Deal to Produce Graphic Novel Series. April 1, 2013 — Papercutz, a young adult and kids’ graphic novel publisher, has signed a deal...

Hasbro Has A Hit. April 1, 2013 — After a delayed release, the sequel “G.I Joe: Retaliation” fought its way...

Will Dollar Stores Rule the Retail World. April 1, 2013 — Last Monday, Dollar General, the nation’s largest dollar-store chain, posted better-than-expected profit...

New York Court Upholds Sales Tax for Online Retailers. March 29, 2013 — New York’s highest court rejected arguments Thursday by two Internet retailers that...

Google, major retailers unite for same-day shopping. March 29, 2013 — Google Inc launched a same-day delivery service in the San Francisco Bay Area...

iCandy World Recalls Cherry Strollers Due to Strangulation Hazard. March 29, 2013 — This recall includes about 830 iCandy Cherry stroller only in the colors Fudge (light-medium brown) and Liquorice (red and black), sold at Buy Buy Baby and other juvenile product stores nationwide and online at www.buybuybaby.com and other online retailers from October 2009 through December 2012 for about $400. The opening between the bumper bar and seat bottom of the stroller can allow an infant’s body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck, posing a strangulation hazard to young children when a child is not harnessed. Consumers should immediately remove the bumper bar from the strollers and contact iCandy America Inc. to receive a free replacement bumper bar. Consumers can continue to use the strollers while awaiting the replacement bumper bar.

BabyHome USA Recalls High Chairs Due to Strangulation Hazard. March 29, 2013 — This recall includes abut 1,100 Eat model high chairs in red, black, green, purple, navy, orange, and brown, sold at juvenile product stores nationwide including USA Baby, Magic Beans and RC Willey and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com and Diapers.com from March 2012 through February 2013 for about $150. The front opening between the tray and seat bottom of the high chair can allow a child’s body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck. This poses a strangulation hazard to young children when the child is not harnessed. Consumers should stop using the high chairs immediately and contact BabyHome USA to receive a free crotch restraint repair kit.

Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. brings the classic keychain toy to life on iOS. March 29, 2013 — Last February, we brought you a look at Tamagotchi L.i.f.e., the title that looks...