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Kids again help Wal-Mart predict the top holiday toys

The Columbian
Published: September 13, 2014, 5:00pm

A year after its release, Disney’s “Frozen” remains poised to drive holiday toy wish lists in the coming shopping bonanza, Wal-Mart said Wednesday in announcing its top 20 toys for the season.

The Frozen Snow Glow Elsa doll from toymaker Jakks — a light-up, singing model of the chilly cartoon queen — has potential to be the must-have toy of the coming holidays, said Anne Marie Kehoe, vice president of toys at Wal-Mart U.S.

It is among 20 toys that Wal-Mart is highlighting as its top holiday toys, as voted on by those who know best: kids.

Wal-Mart, which debuted its Chosen By Kids top toy list last year, in July gathered some 800 children ages 18 months to 12 years in Dallas to test and vote on more than 80 of the hottest new toys.

Five toy trends emerged from the experiment, including electronic toys, licensed toys, classic throwbacks like Hot Wheels and Nerf, and ride-ons and scooters. One particularly fast-growing category is creative and crafty toys, like the Sew Cool sewing machine from Spin Master and the Maya Group’s Make Your Case cellphone cover kit, which was especially popular with girls.

Kehoe said she was surprised by the diversity of toys on this year’s list.

“There was a broader spectrum of brands that were selected” than last year, she said.

Wal-Mart plans to market and display the picks as Chosen By Kids and use the study feedback to make purchasing decisions.

Strong results from last year’s kid-approved toys drove the world’s largest retailer to hold the event again.

“It’s a much more authentic list,” Kehoe said.

The kid testers did not get to keep the toys. For their participation, their parents were given a gift card.

Wal-Mart also announced it is repeating its free holiday layaway program, which launches in stores Friday with an expanded list of eligible products including toys, entertainment items and sporting goods.

Sales of traditional toys in the U.S., excluding video games, reached $22.09 billion last year, according to the NPD Group.

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