It is refreshing to see some companies not in the “duck & cover” mindset that has plagued retail since end of 2006.
Two separate reports coming out of the Reuters Consumer and Retail Summit are of interest because they suggest that for Best Buy and Toys “R” Us, at least, this year’s Christmas selling season should be a good one.
For the holidays, Jerry Storch, chief executive of Toys “R” Us, said that he expected that consumers would still be willing to buy “cool” toys for their kids for the holidays.
“I certainly believe people won’t spend money the way they spent money in the past… for example, on the extravagances of life, on expensive vacations,” he said. “But toys as a whole, even expensive toys, aren’t very expensive.”
I would add it isn’t the price as much as the magic buying a toy provides for the child, the parent and the household. Those who will invest in their people now and connect the dots from their marketing to the consumer seem poised to reap the rewards of a consumer base overwhelmed and tired of bad news they can do little about.
