Tesco's and Hamley's top 10 toys for Xmas

To my huge irritation the papers are full of Tesco's predictions for the top 10 toys for Xmas.

Firstly who cares? Why should it be news what Tesco's thinks about toys. They are not exactly world experts in the toy market are they?

Secondly this is just the final part of Tesco's toy buying plan for Xmas. I have never worked for Tesco's ( but i have worked in buying for many high street multiples) so this is all speculation but I guess this is how it all happened

In Jan the Tesco toy buyers go to the New York toy fair and meet with the major toy manufacturers such as Mattel. They talk through the toys they want to list with Mattel pushing some toys and Tescos favouring others. After a brief discussion about toys and play value the conversation will rapidly move on to money. How much advertising will Mattel be doing at Xmas, how much money will Mattel give as marketing support to Tesco and what margin will they offer.

Once Tesco have the deal they think will make them the most money they will place orders worth £millions.

That is all good business sense and theres no problem with that.

The bit which gets my goat is when the PR department then starts shouting about the toys which Tesco's have the most money invested in, and journalists from serious papers report the story as if Tesco are making serious predictions about which will be the most popular toys at Xmas.

Tesco's top ten toys represent the toys which large multinational companies have invested most money in and therefore need their profile raising asap if they are to make the maximum profit.

I am too grumpy to have read the predictions but I bet they are all from big brands.

So a small request from a small toy wholesaler. Next time a large organisation releases a prediction of top 10 anything for Xmas can it be correctly labeled under "Want to know which product this large retailer has invested most money in?" Thank you!

28th June

Hamleys have now declared their top ten toys for Xmas. They don't appear to have any similarities with the Tesco top ten but what is amusing that they have 4 different lists

Top 10 toys

Top 10 traditional toys

Top 10 film inspired toys

Top 10 finest toys

Tesco's top 10 is

1. Fijit?

2. Kidizoom Twist Camera

3. Barbie Doggie Water Park

4. Transformers 3 Optimus Prime?

5. Baby Annabell?

6. Bob The Builder Construction Tower?

7. Lego City Police Station?

8. Bopit XT

9. Nerf N Strike Night Finder

10. Monopoly Banking

Hamleys top 10s are

The top ten list in full is as follows:

Cars 2 Fully Loaded McMissile (Mattel)

Transformers 3 Mech Tech Leader Asst (Hasbro)

Furreal Cookie (Hasbro)

Kidizoom Twist (VTech)

Rock on Elmo (Hasbro)

Ninjago Fire Temple (Lego)

Nerf Vortex Nitron (Hasbro)

Moshi Monsters Talking Plush (Vivid)

iBall3 (HTI)

Barbie Fashionistas (Mattel)

The top film and TV inspired toys are as follows:

Dr Who Build Your Own Screwdriver (Character)

Light-up Rapunzel doll (Mattel)

Cars 2 1:24 R/C Lightning McQueen (Character)

Queen Anne's Revenge (Lego)

Transformers Ultimate Optimus Prime (Hasbro)

Cars Big Bentley Bust Out (Lego)

Justin Bieber Singing Doll (Vivid)

Dance Star Mickey (Mattel)

Monster High Laguna Hydration Station (Mattel)

Hamley's pick of the 'finest' toys are below:

Dr Who Ride-in Dalek (Kids@play)

Bugatti Type 57 SC atlantic Coupe 1938 (John Ayrey)

Concorde Collectors Pack (Bravo Delta)

Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle (Mattel)

Smokey the Fire Engine (Mattel)

Sylvanian Families Highfields Farm (Flair)

Fijit Friends (Mattel)

LeapPad (Leapfrog)

Technic Supercar (Lego)

Air Swimmers (Wow Stuff)

My Keepon (Wow Stuff)

3ch Gyro Spy Cam Helicopter (Silverlit)

AppBlaster (Apptoys)

Finally, the top traditional toys are as follows:

Rosie Ragdoll (Hamleys)

Pudding - Christmas Bear (Hamleys)

Magnetic Fish Pond (Cheatwell)

Blow Football (Cheatwell)

Tiddledey Winks (Cheatwell)

Monopoly Nostalgia Edition (Hasbro/Esdevium)

Risk Nostalgia Edition (Hasbro/Esdevium)

Cluedo Nostalgia Edition (Hasbro/Esdevium)

Timberkits Dragon (Timberkits)

Star Wars Millennium Falcom (Lego)

Wooden Train (Hamleys)

Grenadier Guardsman (Hamleys)

Xylophone (Hamleys)

Chester Rocking Horse (Hamleys)

Next to get in on the act is The Sun. Its still 5 months to go until Xmas but thats not stopping anyone from releasing their lists, but a big hand to Hasbro's PR dept for this list!

Transformers -with a foot-high Optimus Prime figure. (Hasbro)

Transformers 300 pc building kit. (Hasbro)

Spider-Man All Mission Racer car, (pretty sure this is Hasbro too)

spinning toy Beyblade Extreme Top System Tornado (Hasbro)

rubber bullet gun Vortex Nitron Blaster. (don't know about this one but i think I can guess!)

A singing and instrument-playing Elmo. (Hasbro)

Play-Doh's Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shop. (Hasbro)

Interactive pet dog Cookie Pie, which responds to human touch and voice commands. (Hasbro)

New updated Monopoly. (Hasbro)

Hurrah! I was getting worried that we had not had a manufacturers' top ten list yet, and here it is! Hasbro's top ten toys for Xmas are as follows

Furreal Cookie My Playful Pup

Littlest Pet Shop Tree House

Let’s Rock Elmo

Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe

Monopoly Electronic Banking

Bop-It! XT

Kre-o Transformers Bumblebee set

Transformers Ultimate Optimus Prime

Star Wars Ultimate Force Tech Lightsaber Assortment

Beyblade: Extreme Top System Tornado Battlers

Spider-Man All Mission Racer

Nerf Vortex Nitron Blaster

 25th July and Amazon have now got in on the act. thankfully they are just nominating 5 toys

It bears no relationship at all to either Tesco's. Hamley's, The Sun's or Hasbro's

I have lost the will to list the toys but you can read it here http://www.toynews-online.biz/news/34177/Amazon-tips-five-toys-for-Christmas-success

So how do we work out who is right? What does Harry Hill say.....fight......!