Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said Wednesday (Sept.11) that the retailer enlisted the help of more than 1,000 kids to test and play with this year’s toy selection ahead of the holiday season.
Today (Sept. 12), Wal-Mart unveiled its “Chosen by Kids” top toy list to the public. The retailer said the list is not only kid tested, but it’s also child preferred. Children between the age of 18 months to 10 years gave their input on this year’s toy selection.
Simon said those selected items were ordered deep the company has rolled back prices on hundreds of dolls, action figures, ride-on toys and more.
This year’s favorites include a few newcomers such as VTech Go ! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station Playset, Sofia the First Talking Doll and Animal Friends and Flutterbye Flying Fairy Doll.
The retailer also said classic toys like the Barbie Dreamhouse is expected to be a girl’s favorite again this year, while Elmo and a Furby product are also likely high on kid’s wish lists.
“We are taking the guesswork out of customers’ holiday toy shopping by turning to kids to tell us what the real top toys are,” said Scott McCall, senior vice president of toys and seasonal at Walmart U.S. “Kids told us they want interactive toys as well as classic brands. After hearing this feedback, we did what we do best. We made price investments to offer absolutely great savings on these holiday toys and more for our customers.”
Wal-Mart said all of its kid-approved toys are eligible for layaway which launched in stores on Friday, Sept. 13.
This year’s favorite toy list can be viewed online.
Toys are an important segment for holiday sales and the largest toy retailers continually seek to increase their marketshare of this $24 billion industry. The showdown occurs between Oct. 1 and Dec 24, the period with the majority of toys are sold .
Wal-Mart and Toys R Us have already said they will match competitor prices, both offer layaway and special online deals and Toys R Us is expected to utilize pop-up stores to boost its physical presence while also providing convenience for consumers.