
This year, in the toy showrooms visited by The Record, Walmart, Target and Amazon were cited more often as valued retail partners for new product launches, with few mentions of Toys R Us. In past years, it was common for manufacturers at Toy Fair to brag that their toys would be launched at Toys R Us, or that they had exclusive sales deals with the retailer. They were there to see what toy companies, ranging from giants like Hasbro and Mattel to startups pitching a single toy, will be pinning their sales hopes on for Christmas.Ī key difference at this year’s fair was that toy makers made it clear they are prepared for a future that may not include Toys R Us.

The four-day show, which ended Tuesday, drew an estimated 30,000 retailers, toy distributors, manufacturers, advertisers, toy bloggers and reporters to the Jacob K. They've got game: Top toy trends at Toy Fair in New YorkĪ 102-year-old toy story: Cedar Knolls company among NJ toy makers at Toy Fair Toy makers said their survival strategy is twofold: Sell their toys in as many places as possible to avoid being dependent on any single retailer and offer a diverse range of products to hedge their bets on fast-changing toy trends. That was the message from the toy manufacturers who gathered in New York this week for the 115th annual North American International Toy Fair. In today’s toy industry, the way to stay in the game is to diversify. Watch Video: Video: Top trends from Toy Fair in NY
