Toys in the News: 12-31-2014

By TDmonthly Staff
December 2014

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Play-Doh will exchange phallic-shaped toy. December 31, 2014 — You have to wonder how this one made it past so many people over at Hasbro...

Best of 2014: Reimagining The Retail Floor as a Hub for Community and Entertainment. December 31, 2014 — Founder of Story discusses how her rotating retail space merges merchandising, marketing, and business development to refresh content and connect to shopper needs...

Consumer Cyclical: 4 New Realities for Retailers. December 30, 2014 — Companies that can meet the new realities of retail likely have an economic moat, ultimately leading to better full-price sales...

Hot Income Stocks: Demand For Toys Strong At Hasbro. December 30, 2014 — After some lackluster periods from early 2012 to late 2013, top- and bottom-line growth is firming for Hasbro...

The lesson Mattel learned can help the rest of us. December 30, 2014 — The toy industry is no place for the faint of heart...

Why must toy guns look so real?: Editorial. December 30, 2014 — All across America, the days after Christmas are a continuous hail of gunfire — most of which, thankfully, isn't real...

The 10 Biggest Retail Stories Of 2014. December 29, 2014 — It’s been a banner year for retail news, with big-name CEOs ousted, the Supreme Court...

Toymakers finally construct a new model for girls' toys. December 29, 2014 — For decades, toymakers believed the industry gospel: Boys want to build things, girls want to play princess...

Holiday Retail Winners and Losers. December 29, 2014 — Rising employment and lower gasoline prices both pumped some life into this year’s holiday shopping season...

Retailers grappling with online returns. December 29, 2014 — In many households, the following scenario is something of a Christmas morning ritual...

Retail sales are up, but biggest shopping day is yet to come. December 19, 2014 — With less than a week to go, the Christmas shopping season is shaping up...

Santa Lives in Corporate America: Hasbro's Global Day of Joy. December 19, 2014 — Santa’s workshop is in high gear right now, making sure there’s enough toys...

Fired Mattel employee files suit claiming retaliation, sex discrimination. December 19, 2014 — A former Mattel corporate communications executive sued the El Segundo-based toy manufacturer Thursday...

These are the seven best tablets for kids. December 18, 2014 — Imagine you’re a kid and every toy you owned was locked up in one box. When your mother...

Retailers lure shoppers with last-minute deals. December 18, 2014 — Retailers are going to extremes in a last-ditch effort to lure shoppers right up until Christmas Eve...

U.K.’s Black Friday Stokes Retail Sales as Consumers Splurge. December 18, 2014 — U.K. retail sales rose more than economists forecast in November as the Black Friday spending spree...

Sexting Among Teens Linked with Porn Use, Study says. December 18, 2014 — Following the recent influx of research exposing the harms of pornography consumption, another new study, published in Belgium, found that sexting among teens is "significantly associated with pornography use." The study also found that "adolescents who visit sexually explicit Web sites are more likely to have permissive sexual attitudes … and to engage in risky sexual behavior"...

Big Retailers Use Ploys To Woo Holiday Shopping Procrastinators. December 17, 2014 — In marketing ploys designed to woo last-minute shoppers and strike...

Frozen Fatigue? Elsa and Anna Have Taken Over Disney World. December 17, 2014 — The Walt Disney Company has gone all-in after last year’s Oscar-winning hit film Frozen...

Toys of Christmas Past: A look at Christmas toy fads over the years. December 17, 2014 — Think back, what was your must-have toy from your childhood? Were you a child of the '80s...

Why Is It So Hard to Find a Good Retail CEO? December 17, 2014 — This was the year we learned that a good retail CEO is really hard to find...

Hasbro Releases New Corporate Social Responsibility Report. December 16, 2014 — Hasbro, Inc., a global branded play leader, today announced the release of its 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report...

Pacers and Fever Partner With Jakks Pacific For Holiday Toy Giveaway. December 16, 2014 — It started as a simple friendship between two men. Over the past five years the friendship has provided smiles to nearly 175,000 children...

For This Holiday Season, Old Toys Are New Again. December 16, 2014 — This month we're bringing you gift ideas and today's suggestions for kids. We called up toy industry analyst Sean McGowen...

Unrelenting Competition: The Biggest Retail Story of 2015. December 16, 2014 — Retail is in a period of rapid change. Next year will be a challenge for every retailer because consumer apathy...

Toy makers learn that construction sets aren't just for boys anymore. December 15, 2014 — After years ignoring the space, toy companies have been paying close attention to how girls like to build...

Mattel Vs Hasbro: Which Toy Titan Will Fatten Your Wallet? December 15, 2014 — The Lego Group recently became the largest toy company in the world, but it’s a private company...

Ex-Hasbro exec gets TV 'Shark Tank' investors to bite on his Mensch on a Bench. December 15, 2014 — A former Hasbro executive went on national TV Friday night to ask for cash to expand the cast of characters...

Teen retailers get the cold shoulder for holidays. December 15, 2014 — Being a teen can be tough, but catering to one is even more difficult...

When Retailers Reveal Production Costs, Consumers Are More Likely To Buy. December 15, 2014 — When a company sets a price for a product, shoppers typically have no idea what it costs to produce...

ToyFest West Continues to Show A Winning Hand At the South Point Casino Hotel & Spa. December 15, 2014 — Extending their winning streak, WTHRA prepares for their third toy and hobby tradeshow at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, NV., Sunday, March 8 - Wednesday, March 11, 2015. With nearly 700 vendors unveiling their new products for 2015 at the show with dynamic 1st quarter promotions, this West Coast venue provides all the opportunities of New York Toy Fair in a comfortable and affordable “work, stay, play” atmosphere. For more information on ToyFest West, the manufacturers and representatives who will be present, the special room rate and the 2015 program, please visit www.toyfestwest.com or call (909) 899-3753.

10 Wall Street Firms Fined Over Conflicts in Toys ‘R’ Us I.P.O. December 12, 2014 — More than 10 years after a crackdown on conflicts of interest at Wall Street investment banks, many of the biggest...

Retail sales jump in November. December 12, 2014 — Retail sales blew past forecasts last month as falling gas prices and early holiday sales brought...

Hess Toy Trucks Celebrate 50 Years. December 12, 2014 — At 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving, James Galdo and his 22-year-old son made their annual trip to a Hess (HES) gas station...

Why Mattel Matters Less This Holiday Season. December 12, 2014 — Barbie, the perennial favorite toy this time of year, might be a bit glum this holiday season...

Hasbro Names Lionsgate’s Michael Burns to its Board. December 12, 2014 — Toymaker Hasbro has elected Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns to its board as an independent director...

Retailers: Social Should Drive Love AND Sales. December 10, 2014 — Holiday sales can be the saving grace for retailers that struggled during the year...

Mother says her children's toy phone exploded. December 10, 2014 — No parent would ever second guess handing over a toy phone to their little one -- especially one...

Retailers Using Science To Shape Shopping Experience. December 10, 2014 — Retailers are trying to get into customers’ brains and they now have the technology to do it...

Amazon To Let Shoppers Bargain For Lower Prices With New "Make An Offer" Option. December 9, 2014 — Amazon, pushing hard to pick up more business during the holiday season, wants you to make a deal...

Robots that teach coding to kids. December 9, 2014 — At Backchannel, Andrew Leonard tells the story of Dash and Dot, two darling robots designed to help kids learn to code....

Mattel's Downside Continues: Barbie, Fisher Price Still Weak. December 9, 2014 — On Oct 16, 2014, Mattel reported weak third-quarter 2014 results with earnings and revenues missing the Zacks...

Toys Are More Divided by Gender Now Than They Were 50 Years Ago. December 9, 2014 — When it comes to buying gifts for children, everything is color-coded: Rigid boundaries segregate brawny blue action figures from pretty pink princesses...

4 Retail Stocks to Watch This Holiday Season. December 9, 2014 — With less than three weeks until Christmas, U.S. retailers are entering their busiest and most profitable part of the year...

Retail sales data to confirm tone of holiday shopping. December 8, 2014 — With gas prices at multiyear lows and consumer sentiment at multiyear highs, retail sales data...

Ralph H. Baer, 'Father Of Home Video Games,' Dead At 92. December 8, 2014 — If you've ever spent a few hours in front of the television playing video games, hit the pause button and take a moment to thank Ralph Baer...

Nazi education: Toy manufacturer insists on selling SS troops despite customer complaints. December 8, 2014 — A Polish toy manufacturer will continue to sell its Nazi themed games, as the company believes...

DC girl calls for more female Star Wars toys, Toys 'R' Us responds. December 8, 2014 — The force is definitely with one D.C. girl who was unhappy with the selection of female Star Wars action figures at local toy stores...

Meet the pint-sized toy reviewers making king-sized money. December 5, 2014 — With Christmas approaching, brothers Gabe and Garrett have plenty of work to do. Their YouTube channel...

Navigating a Tough Retail Market. December 5, 2014 — It was another day when stocks were buffeted by cross currents as the S&P futures...

It’s a high-risk holiday season for some retailers on the edge. December 5, 2014 — The holiday shopping season is always a make-or-break period for struggling retailers...

The holiday shopping season is always a make-or-break period for struggling retailers. December 5, 2014 — Hasbro’s Global Day of Joy is so big, it had to be 27 hours long. Starting in Australia during what was Wednesday night in Rhode Island...

LeapFrog seeks to be the Apple of toddler tech. December 5, 2014 — LeapFrog is offering an array of games and gadgets for holiday shoppers, including a new kids-oriented video game console...

DreamWorks and Hasbro Would've Been a Sweet Pair. December 5, 2014 — Buyout rumors come and go, but there was one potential pairing that made too much sense to let go of...

Mickey and Math? Disney Launches Education Apps. December 4, 2014 — Disney is launching several educational apps for preschool aged children...

The Double Life of Retail Promotion. December 4, 2014 — Despite screaming sales signs, the holiday promotion is actually living a double life...

Hot Online Retailers Go "Bricks and Mortar". December 4, 2014 — More and more, retailers that used to deal exclusively online are opening up brick and mortar stores too...

Black Friday aside, retail has changed for good. December 3, 2014 — It’s far too early to worry about lackluster early numbers from retailers for the “Black Friday” weekend...

Why Online Shopping Is A Nightmare For Retailers. December 3, 2014 — Every major retailer is investing heavily in e-commerce...

Toy maker Mattel blasts Superman figurine into space just because they can. December 3, 2014 — We can put rovers on Mars and probes on comets. So what was next? Shooting Superman back into space...

Top Christmas toys searched on Google. December 3, 2014 — Santa is making his list and checking it twice. And Google too is getting in on the list action.

Study says scooters lead the toy-injury pack. December 2, 2014 — A recent study published in Clicnical Pediatrics has found that scooter-related injuries among children have increased in the past twenty years...

Small Retailers Jump On The Subscription Box Bandwagon. December 2, 2014 — For three years, Erin Maynard ran a store called The Geeky Cauldron out of her home in Phoenix...

Cyber Monday shoppers give retailers sales bump. December 2, 2014 — Cyber Monday is turning into Cyber Month. Retailers rolled out discounts and free shipping deals on Cyber Monday...

The National Retail Federation Blames Lame Black Friday Sales on a Recovered Economy. December 1, 2014 — Black Friday weekend has come and gone, meaning the holiday shopping season has officially started...

Retailers target Alibaba in online sales tax push. December 1, 2014 — A coalition of retailers warn in a new ad that online retail giants could put them out of business...

Cyber Monday: Online retailers hope for shopping surge. December 1, 2014 — Online retailers are hoping that a spending frenzy will continue, with internet shopping reaching a pre-Christmas peak...

Simple, Even Retro, Toys Gain Favor This Christmas. November 28, 2014 — This season, backlash against high-tech toys with screens has resulted in more interest in traditional toys...

This Holiday Season, Let's Turn Retail Jobs Into Middle-Class Ones. November 28, 2014 — As Americans rush out on Black Friday, it’s a good time to reflect on the meager wages paid to the people...

Black Friday goes global as retailers import the US spending holiday. November 28, 2014 — Turkeys are American. Cranberry sauce is American. But another element of the Thanksgiving ritual no longer is: Black Friday...

Mattel's holiday wish: to get its toys on more children's wish lists. November 28, 2014 — Barbie and her teammates may get a chilly reception from holiday shoppers....

Kindle Versus Ipad: Which Tablet Is Best for Kids? November 28, 2014 — As loving parents and grandparents, we are hardwired to seek out the best for our offspring...

How do toys get selected for the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester? November 28, 2014 — Before the holiday wish lists and mad buying rush each year comes a dose of nostalgia with the National Toy Hall of Fame's annual picks for enshrinement...