Gifts / Sports & Toys

Relevant data shows that Toys R Us has more than 210 stores and online platforms in China, with a complete range of products and many products that are very popular and favored by consumers. In 2021, what new layouts will Toys R Us have in the category? Today, we invited Yang Yi, General Manager of Toys R Us China Marketing to share their latest product selection strategy, let’s take a look!

01

Improve the category of educational toys

Meet the detailed needs of Chinese parents' family education

"In 2020, the best-selling toy categories of Toys R Us will be concentrated in the three categories of puzzles, IP authorization and fashion play," said Mr. Yang. "Therefore, we will continue to cultivate these three categories in 2021 because they are In line with the consumption trends and consumer needs of the Chinese market, for example, educational toys, Chinese parents are paying more and more attention to infant and toddler education, and "play and education" has become an inevitable development trend of the toy industry. Educational toys can To help children improve their learning and exploration abilities from the play experience, the most outstanding performance last year was the building blocks, which achieved very good sales results."

In 2021, Toys R Us will further refine the puzzle categories, hoping to complete the overall improvement in terms of functionality.

Mr. Yang shared: "We will choose toys that can provide children with different educational values, such as toys that can cultivate language, mathematics, geography, color distinction and coordination."

02

Focus on children's animation IP products with "experience + interaction"

Maximize IP influence

IP-licensed toys have always performed well in the market. In this Internet age, children are exposed to more information and have a greater sense of identity with toys with a story background. Toys R Us has always paid attention to the expansion of this category.

Mr. Yang said: "We believe that by combining with the entertainment field, we can inject cultural connotation into toy products and give them more powerful vitality, and this is also a major reason why IP toys are sought after by consumers. Especially in the past two years. In 2009, with the rise of domestic animation, we also launched a variety of related products, such as the Bobo remote control racing car and the Bruco team series, which were well received by parents. At the same time, some classic IPs also showed strong performance, such as Ultraman, this long Green IP's new products in 2020 also performed well, such as Rob's light wheel powerful transformation suits are very popular."

This year, Toys R Us will still focus on the most popular film and television comics IP in the children's market, especially children's animation IP.

In Toys R Us, you can find relatively mature big IP products in Europe and the United States, such as popular IP movie series toys such as "Avengers 4" and "Toy Story 4" jointly launched with Lego and Hasbro.

You can also find popular IP toys in China, Japan and South Korea in Toys R Us, such as "Mini Secret Service", "All Beasts", "Giant Strike Team", "Ye Luoli" and "Balala Little Demon Fairy" and other IPs. The products have shown strong vitality in China and are loved by children.

Toys R Us attaches great importance to the category of IP-licensed toys, not only because of good sales performance, but also the effect of long-term cooperation in brand promotion.

Mr. Yang said: "We will not only distribute IP products, but also further link with IP parties to create unique and more playable IP toys and other products. This year, we will also have a more in-depth cooperation with leading domestic animation companies. We will work closely together to deploy the online and offline "experience + interaction" model to maximize the appeal and influence of IP."

03

Rich and fashionable game categories

Innovative puzzle play will become a new hot spot

As Generation Z has become the mainstream consumer group, every brand is trying to expand its target demographic age group, and Toys R Us is no exception.

Mr. Yang believes: “Based on data observation, we found that trendy categories, especially national-tide toys, such as the luxurious building blocks of the Palace of Harmony that convey the Forbidden City culture, have attracted many children and young people to shop at the same time.”

"In 2020, we have launched many trendy toys, such as rainbow unicorn super surprise eggs, hairdressing dolls, tokidoki unicorn series, etc. This year, we will launch blind box toys such as Nanci and Onmyoji."

"In addition, we have also noticed that in addition to the hot'blind box', innovative educational toys have also entered the field of fashion, such as the popular Enlightenment and Keeppley brand launched in Toys R Us last year. , Aerospace series building block toys. In 2021, we will also launch China's high-speed rail Fuxing EMU rail trains, surprise treasure boxes, jelly beans, magic animal balls and other trendy toys."

04

More private brands debut

Rich brand matrix

In 2021, if you look closely, you will find that Toys R Us has successively launched many new private-label products.

Mr. Yang said: "At present, new private brands such as the'City Express' series, the'Fan Xiaobei' series and the'Taoxiaozi' series have arrived in the store. More products will be unveiled in the future, and we will also We have further expanded the popular exclusive international brands, such as J'adore and Junior Chef. We hope that these products can further enrich our brand matrix and ensure product safety and quality."

"Private brands can carry more of our accumulated experience in the toy market for many years. For example, we will consider the participation of parents in product development to increase the interactive experience between parents and children; the playability of toys, we hope that a product can pass The extension of gameplay and accessories extends its life cycle; innovative packaging, like using stories on packaging to stimulate emotional connection with the product... etc."

Toys R Us’s brand new “City Express” series of toys have a series of high-quality alloy cars, game sets and accessories, which are enough for parents and children to build their own exclusive city together.

In another self-owned brand "Fan Xiaobei" series, each doll has its own name, personality and story, which can establish a close relationship with children. Various accessory combinations that can increase the playability of the product are also designed, such as cute Baby washing and care tableware stroller combination, sweetheart baby luxury accessory set, newborn baby care set, etc.

Editor's note: In fact, colleagues in the industry have a certain understanding of hot-selling category trends, but how to deepen their cultivation and how to make their own differentiation is the focus of investigation. Toys R Us attaches great importance to meticulous research on the Chinese market, which gives them a deep understanding of consumers’ aesthetic orientation, pain point needs and consumer psychology, so they can make differentiated selections and combinations on this basis. New product research and development, such as making puzzles in the trendy play, and subdividing them in the puzzle. These ideas can be used for reference by colleagues in the industry.