Big toys might make the most noise, but this holiday season is bringing some shrinkage. 😆🤏 And we're not talking about *that* kind of shrinkage. Come on now, this is a family establishment! 🤠
As inflation keeps on keepin' on, people are rethinking their holiday toy budgets and toy makers are up for the challenge. 🧸 This year, expect to see a lot more tiny toys on the shelves of your favorite stores.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on what's going on with toys:
- 🚚📦Back That (Inventory) Up - Last year, supply chain issues had toy companies worried they wouldn’t have enough goodies to sell. Now that things have caught up, retailers are trying to clear out the backed up inventory, including pricey items people might not have the cash for this year.
- 📉 How Low Can You Go? - The maker of LOL Surprise and Bratz dolls is coming out with more than 200 new toys with a price tag of $10 or below, which should hit big chain stores just in time for the holidays. That's compared to just 10 to 15 sold at that price point last year.
- 📝 Doodle Downgrade - Toy companies are also making shrunken versions of their bigger toys. Take DoodleJamz: the mini versions of these gel-filled drawing pads are $9.99. Their larger cousins got a price tag of $25 when they first hit the scene last summer.
- 🥳 HBD, Queen! - The original Bratz doll turns 21 years old this year (designated driver and hangovers not included). The b-day version of our girl costs $36 at Target. But there are now also two-inch Mini Bratz dolls for sale for $9.88 on Amazon and Walmart and $9.99 at Target.
- 💃💸 Budget Barbie - In addition to making tiny toys, big toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel might have to make tinier budgets. Hasbro didn't have the best Q3 and reported high inventory levels. Mattel is planning for an unpredictable toy market going into 2023 and cut back on profit predictions.
🔥Bottom line: All shrinkage jokes aside, families across the nation are getting creative with their holiday gift budgets, trying to save everything they can. Smaller toys and cheaper prices could mean more under the tree for a whole lot less. Also, the jury's still out on how this will impact toy makers. In the meantime, we'll pop some budget bubbly with the original Bratz doll. 🥂
What tiny toys are on your list this year?!
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
Btw, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!
