PARAMUS, N.J. and FORT LEE, N.J., Oct. 22 -- Toys for every taste and age group will be hot for Holiday 2001 this season, according to the world's leading toy retailer, Toys'R'Us, and the leading online toy retailer, Toysrus.com in their annual Hot Toy list released today. The Xbox, GameCube and PlayStation 2 video game consoles, plus fashion and music-influenced items will be tops with older kids, while Bob the Builder, Rescue Heroes, My First Leap and Tickle Me Elmo Surprise are among toys that will rule with younger children. Toys related to upcoming "Monsters, Inc." and "Harry Potter" movies are also among the products that the retailers believe consumers will want most this season.
"Our goal for this holiday season is to help our guests to find the toys and gifts they want in a shopping environment that's second to none," said John Eyler, Chairman and CEO of Toys'R'Us, Inc. "The hot toys on our list are the 'must have' products this holiday season, and we've got a wider assortment and better selection of these and other toys and games than anyone else in the business. Our improved in store experience and our unique products will make it easy and convenient for our guests to celebrate the season."
"Based on what we've observed at our new turbo-charged online store, these are the toys guests will gravitate to as they look forward to spending time with their families this holiday," said John Barbour, CEO of Toysrus.com, Inc. "Shoppers know we are the place online for hot toys and video games, so we're offering shoppers features like the ability to order many popular items in advance, wish lists and gift stores for girls and boys."
The 2001 Hot Toy Picks from Toys'R'Us and Toysrus.com are as follows, in alphabetical order:
- Barbie in the Nutcracker - Mattel
- Bionicle - Lego
- Bob the Builder - Hasbro
- Bratz - MGA Entertainment
- Darby the Dog and Darla the Unicorn - Animal Alley
- Dusty the Talking Tool Bench
- e-Kara (Karaoke) - Hasbro
- Electronic Workbench - Home Depot
- Harry Potter Professor Snape's Potions Lab - Mattel
- HitClips - Tiger Electronics
- Hot Wheels Fireball Race Track - Mattel
- Monsters, Inc. - Hasbro and Thinkway
- My First Leap - LeapFrog
- Playset Dinosaur or Jungle - Animal Planet
- Polly Pocket - Mattel
- PT Cruiser - Fast Lane - Hasbro
- Rescue Heroes - Fisher Price
- Rumble Robots - Trendmasters
- Tickle Me Elmo Surprise- Fisher-Price
- Wheels on the Bus - Hasbro
- Video Game Systems: Game Boy Advance - Nintendo
- GameCube - Nintendo
- Xbox - Microsoft
- PlayStation 2 - Sony
The company also released its picks for "stocking stuffer" items available for less than $20:
- Hit Clips - Tiger $7.99
- Bionicle - Lego $6.99
- Monsters, Inc. Top Scarer - Hasbro $9.99
- Tool Box - Home Depot $9.99
- Rubba Ducks - Commonwealth $10.99
- Darla Unicorn - Animal Alley Plush $9.99
- McDonald's Cash Register - Mattel $19.99
- Bratz - MGA $14.99
- Wheels on the Bus - Hasbro $19.99
About Toys'R'Us
Toys'R'Us operates 1,583 stores worldwide: 702 toy stores in the United States; 498 international toy stores including franchise stores; 185 Kids'R'Us children's clothing stores; 154 Babies'R'Us stores; and 44 Imaginarium stores. Toysrus.com sells merchandise through its Internet sites at http://www.toysrus.com, http://www.babiesrus.com and http://www.imaginarium.com.
This press release contains certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Such statements should be considered as subject to risks and uncertainties that exist in the company's operations and business environment that could render actual outcomes and results materially different than predicted. Factors that could constitute risks are set fourth in documents field by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
TOYS'R'US AND TOYSRUS.COM'S HOT TOYS FOR HOLIDAY 2001
Barbie in the Nutcracker - Mattel; Suggested retail $19.99 (dolls)
Every girl's favorite doll is now a ballerina in the most beloved ballet -- The Nutcracker. Dressed in jewels, ballerina Barbie transforms into a princess and dances to music on a special stand. Ken is sold separately and plays Prince Eric who comes with a Nutcracker mask. Ages 3 & up.
Bionicle - Lego; Suggested retail $6.99 - $29.99 and set of 6: $19.99
These action figures have a rich and mythical back story, set on the legendary island of Mata Nui, where heroic Toas struggle with the bad guy Makutas. Detailed illustrated instructions make it as fun to put these figures together as it is to play with them. Age 7 & up.
Bob the Builder - Hasbro; Suggested retail $5.99 - $34.99. Playset $19.99
Can we fix it? Yes we can! Figures and playsets based on this popular children's TV show are tops with enterprising kids who like to keep busy. In addition to the Talking Bob, the line also includes a workshop, a Talking Wendy and an Adventure Playset. Age 24 mos. & up.
Bratz - MGA Entertainment; Suggested retail $14.99
The Bratz are four hip friends with a "passion for fashion." These four groovy, multi-cultural dolls (sold separately) have their own attitude and style. Yasmine, Jade, Chloe and Sasha each come with an 11-by-17-inch poster of the whole Bratzpack posing with attitude. Age 4 & up.
Darby the Dog and Darla the Unicorn - Animal Alley; Suggested retail $9.99 - $39.99
These Animal Alley stuffed animals are cuddly and cute, warm and loveable; just right for everyone on your holiday list. The line also includes jungle friends, bears and more.
Dusty the Talking Tool Bench - Hasbro; Suggested retail $29.99
This smilin' tool bench has everything for budding builders. Dusty interacts with kids through encouraging phrases, moving his mouth and eyebrows. Friends like Simon the Saw and Vinnie the Vise encourage children to interact with these fun-loving tool bench characters. Age 3 & up.
e-Kara (Karaoke) - Hasbro; Suggested retail $59.99
The first truly portable handheld karaoke system, e-Kara plugs into a television. This main unit includes: a microphone with features, wires for fast and easy television hookup, and a cartridge featuring five songs from Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Backstreet Boys, and the Beatles. Wacky sounds and voice changers makes fun for the whole family. Age 6 & up.
Electronic Workbench - Home Depot; Suggested retail $59.99
This talking toolbench tells kids where tools belong and says fun phrases like "Hi workbuddy! Safety First!" This beautifully detailed set - backed by the Home Depot brand and expertise -- lets aspiring "do-it-yourselfers" tinker and putter just like Mom and Dad. Ages 3 & Up.
Harry Potter Professor Snape's Potions Lab - Mattel; Suggested retail $24.99 or with refill $29.99
From Hogwarts' most famous student. Kids can magically mix potions with self-stirring wand in a cauldron and then drink them. Ages 8 & up.
Hitclips - Tiger Electronics; Suggested retail three-pack $11.99 and $3.99-$4.99 individual clips.
HitClips is a full system of pre-recorded music, players and recording devices that gives kids a chance to collect hit singles in a micro-sized format. These postage-stamp-sized micro chips are played on a series of players that are not much bigger. Featuring artists like N*SYNC, Britney Spears, Faith Hill, Sugar Ray and more, this mini music is the hottest collecting craze. Ages 5 & up.
Hot Wheels Fireball Race Track - Mattel; Suggested retail $44.99.
Cars race and zoom upside down - it can only be Hot Wheels! Launch 2 glow-in-the-dark cars on a wild ride inside a fiery globe-shaped meteor. Ages 5 & up.
Monsters, Inc. - Hasbro and Thinkway; Suggested retail $9.99 to $59.99
Movie-goers anticipating this flick will love the licensed toys that bring to life this tale about what happens when kids go to sleep and monsters come out from under the bed. Sulley is the very large, very fuzzy, and very blue monster; Mike is Sulley's gregarious green eyeball sidekick. Plush versions from Hasbro, interactive toys from Thinkway. Ages 4 & up.
My First Leap - LeapFrog; Suggested retail $39.99
A new version of the wildly popular LeapPad for the pre-school set, this lightweight and portable educational learning system promotes reading readiness and teaches ABC's, numbers, phonics, pre-reading skills, and pre-math skills. Children touch, play and learn with interactive Flip Books that feature a story on one side and activities, games, and music on the other. Ages 3 & up.
Playsets Dinosaur or Jungle - Animal Planet; Suggested retail $24.99
Go back to the place when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Animal Planet has playsets made just for fun. The Dinosaur playset includes a playmat that depicts rivers, rocks and footprints. Ages 5 & up.
Polly Pocket - Mattel; Super Stylin' Mall Suggested retail $29.99.
The incredibly small world of Polly Pocket is now available in a whole new place. Polly and her friends can visit four shopping areas at the mall, including a hair salon, a clothing store and a place for snacks. The entire mall folds up for easy carrying. Ages 3 & up.
PT Cruiser - Fast Lane; - Suggested retail $59.99
Zip around the parking lot with this styling radio control cruiser. Features impact-resistant bumpers and two speeds. Ages 6 & up.
Rescue Heroes - Fisher-Price; Suggested retail $7.99 (figures) $74.99 (command center)
When danger and trouble lurk, Rescue Heroes are there to save the day. Rescue Hero fans will love this season's Aqua Command Center. Ages 3 & up.
Rumble Robots - Trendmasters; Suggested retail $29.99
Get ready to rumble! Rumble Robots are like BattleBots meet e-pets meet Pokemon. Swipe cards to give robots more power. Ages 3 & up.
Tickle Me Elmo Surprise - Fisher-Price; Suggested retail $24.99
This fifth anniversary edition of the popular fuzzy red fellow has five ticklish spots. Twelve-inch-tall Elmo has a variety of giggling responses and a most ticklish spot, with the locations of the responses changing with repeated play. Ages 1-1/2 & up.
Wheels on the Bus - Hasbro; Suggested retail $19.99
Sing the song and play along. Children try to match all four of the bus parts to win. The bus takes players on a tour that includes real-life, bus-like sounds, and even plays the famous "Wheels on the Bus" song. Ages 3 & up.
VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS:
Game Boy Advance - Nintendo; Suggested retail $149.99 (console, software, accessories) $99.99 handheld only.
Why get a Game Boy Advance? Nintendo's next-generation handheld runs 17 times faster and displays more than 10 times as many onscreen colors as Game Boy Color. Available in numerous console colors, including Indigo, Arctic and Glacier. It's backward-compatible, so it plays games from past seasons' Game Boy and Game Boy Color units.
GameCube - Nintendo; Suggested retail $399.99 (console, software, accessories) $199.99 console only.
Though it looks like a toy, don't be fooled: the Nintendo GameCube is a powerful video game console that rightly deserves its place among the other next-generation game systems. In fact, its playful, appealing design and small size (the unit is a not-quite-cubed 6 inches) aren't the only features that set it apart from the others. Available in stores on November 18th.
PlayStation2 - Sony; Suggested retail $399.99-499.99/Value Packs w/software and accessories) $299.99 console in store.
Gamers are still clamoring for this powerful video game console device, and a huge line-up of new games, add-ons and accessories will make this a top choice on fans' holiday lists
Xbox - Microsoft; Suggested retail $299.99
Xbox is Microsoft's hotly anticipated entry into the console category; it plays games that are smoother, faster, and more colorful than anything you've ever seen. The pretty game software is enhanced by the Xbox's built-in hardware: an Ethernet port (for LAN parties and broadband Internet games), a large hard drive (for saved games, downloaded enhancements, and characters), and four controller ports (for accessories such as a microphone headset or additional game controllers). The optional DVD kit even lets you use your Xbox as a DVD player, making it a fully functional visual entertainment system. Available in stores on November 15th.
