September 24, 2010
Educational Toys | Exclusive: Sears To Open 85 Toy Shops Ahead Of Holidays
The move from the operator of Sears department stores and the Kmart discount chain comes as competition heats up in the toy retail arena ahead of the biggest selling season of the year.
“We have a very aggressive plan for growing our toy business,” Julia Fitzgerald, chief marketing officer for Sears’ toy business told Reuters in a interview ahead of an event marking the launch of Kmart’s top toy picks for the holidays.
The decision to allocate 1500 to 1800 square feet of floor space permanently at 85 existing Sears stores came after many customers showed interest to shop for toys in convenient locations such as malls, during a pilot program in 20 department stores last year.
The new shops, primarily aimed at moms of two to five year-olds, will be in key markets including Chicago, Washington D.C. /Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
The initiative brings Sears back to a business with which it had a rocky history. Earlier this decade, Sears experimented with “store-within-a-store” partnerships with KB Toys, but ultimately pulled the plug.
But this time, the company is comfortable expanding the business and “very optimistic” about the new initiative, Fitzgeralds said.
“We are just responding to our customer base. Consumers are telling us that they would like to shop for toys at Sears when they are in the mall, when they are making their other purchases there,” she said.
Specialty player Toys R Us Inc TOY.UL has already announced plans to open about 600 Toys R Us Express temporary stores and 10 FAO Schwarz “pop-up” stores this year.
Sear’s stores will carry products from key toy makers such as Mattel Inc (MAT.O), educational toys company LeapFrog Enterprises (LF.N) and others including Schylling, a maker of retro products such as tin jack-in-the-boxes.
Sears, formed in 2005 when hedge fund manager Edward Lampert merged Sears and Kmart, will also carry playsets modeled on its mainstay Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances.
KMART’S TOP HOLIDAY PICKS
Kmart top holiday list features an eclectic mix of toys including Mattel’s Barbie Video Girl doll and “Paper Jamz,” an electric guitar made of cardboard that produces music from touch-sensitive electronic sensors hidden under its surface. “Paper Jamz,” is made by U.S.-based Wowwee.
The list also includes Cuponk, a game that challenges players to master ball-and-cup tricks using a wall, as well as Nerf N Strike Stampede blasters, both from Hasbro Inc (HAS.N).
The others which made the cut include Stealth Rides vehicles from Hot Wheels and educational toys like Vtech’s V reader, which Fitzgerald dubbed as the “Kindle (e-reader) for kids.”
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10 Comments on Educational Toys | Exclusive: Sears To Open 85 Toy Shops Ahead Of Holidays »
April 11, 2011
BlackSheep @ 11:19 pm:
Old material.
April 20, 2011
Ashley S @ 12:41 pm:
well.. if he really loves spiderman get him anything that has to do with that..you dont need to get him a lot of things but a couple will make him happy cause thats what he really loves.. my little brothers looooove transformers so if he likes those..those are good
April 25, 2011
Lulu @ 11:34 pm:
Since Scott thinks this is made-up story he has probably been away from kids who start school not knowing the English language and with uneducated, often even illiterate parents, as this child did. Without any educational toys, after-school enrichment, inadequate teachers, unmotivated classmates, his level is sadly unsurprising. I suggest you volunteer at a school like his- 95% children of illegal immigrants, and see for yourself.
April 27, 2011
Pretend Play @ 8:15 am:
Jigsaw Floor Puzzle “Visiting The Sick” – 24Pc -Affordable Gift for your Little One! Item
May 10, 2011
Moi @ 6:30 am:
You seem to be doing a great job. I think that you should maybe try and get one of those underground fences and the collar that lightly shocks your pet if they go out of bounds. I think that this is humane but have never needed one so am not sure. You could put it on before work and take it off after work. Once she get the picture then maybe you could stop using it. Not sure if that will be OK seeing how she had that whole electric fence fiasco. Just a thought. Hope that helped.
May 27, 2011
charles @ 3:11 am:
Policeman: "Now, do you want me to just slow down or stop!!!?
XD!!!
I havent heard of these before :/ :p
^_^ ! Joetri10 ! ^_^
July 22, 2011
Good Christmas Gifts copy @ 1:22 pm:
Parents nowadays have the option to employ electronic teaching toys when educating their children. There are plenty of products to choose from. These electronic educational toys come in different sizes and shapes.
July 27, 2011
Twitter @ 6:35 pm:
September 13, 2011
Ivan Y @ 1:52 pm:
I am native-born Russian.
1. Yes, we have iPods, lcd TVs, cell phones, everything. Except Apple computers and other Apple paraphernalia because frankly Apple isn't very popular.
2. No, because in the US I have much more opportunities for a better education at the world's top universities.
3. Yes, I would.
4. The educational system is much stricter, the material is more difficult and given in large amounts. If you don't do your homework, you copy it from some braniac that does.
5. I'd have a pretty good future. I'd go study abroad in say England or the US, or graduate a top university in Moscow. I'd work as a software engineer and move to the US later.
November 7, 2011
Kagome @ 4:49 pm:
Byakuka(are you a Bleach fan?),I know exactly what you are talking about!I got some for babysitting,and I love 'em.You can buy them online(I will show you the site),but if you choose not to,there are actually stores that are called,''Discovery Toys''.If you go to map quest,type in your address and when they ask you about businesses,type in Discovery Toys,you can probably find one in your state.If not,then,buy them online.I know they have a store in NC,and it's actually very near me,but I'm not sure if they have them wherever you live. Site; Hope you and your son have fun!