Toymakers Disappoint, Warn on Holidays

[Career Prole]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The two top U.S. toymakers posted disappointing third-quarter results on Monday, citing uncertainty in the economy and cautious retailers, and tempered expectations for the crucial holiday season.

<snip>

"We are currently dealing with broad consumer uncertainty related to higher gasoline prices and a lackluster employment picture which translates into uninspiring consumer confidence levels," Mattel's Chief Executive Robert Eckert said on a conference call.

He said retailers are "less than sanguine" about taking inventory. Most retailers are deciding shelf space based on past performance and would rather "chase demand" than take goods early.

Toymakers and retailers depend on the winter holiday season for most of their profits. Roughly 50 percent of toy sales are rung up in the fourth quarter alone, according to the NPD Group, a New York-based market information company.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041018/bs_nm/manufacturing_toys_earns_dc

If the LBN rules didn't require the headline as the subject line I believe I would have titled this thread "I Saw Dubya Killing Santa Claus".
It's on Reuters at Yahoo, so give it a five if you go by there. :)

[Richardo]

1. Lousy elves...

...gotta be a union thing :evilgrin:

[raifield]

2. No no, Santa is in gitmo...

Always carrying around that sack of lumpy objects, you know.

[durablend]

3. Doesn't look good for Toys R Us...

If that's the case.

They're teetering on the edge already...they're going to need a decent holiday season or next year might be it for them.

[Career Prole]

4. It's all the Daisy Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action BB Gun

litigation. We've just got to curb all these frivolous "shoot your eye out" lawsuits!

[Richardo]

5. But the kids just don't go for the Orphan Annie Decoder ring anymore...

D-R-I-N-K-M-O-R-E-O-V-A-L-T-I-N-E. :D

[Career Prole]

10. Remember kids...

Little Orphan Annie approved this message! :D

[shaolinmonkey]

6. I heard they all want to be dentists.

On edit: The elves, that is.

[Career Prole]

11. Just the repuke elves...

...at least that's the buzz in the toy shop.

Career Prole
Island of Misfit Toys

[acmavm]

7. So does this mean that the economy isn't just cooking along like they

tried to tell us recently (retail sales were up supposedly).

I find it pretty strange that their claims on the increase in retail sales and kids going back to school were during the same time period. The consumers were forced back into the stores just to send their kids off the class. Or am I making too much of this?

And while I'm squawking on the supposed increase in retail sales, does anyone know if the statistic they quoted made up for the loss? Do they take the two figures into consideration? Or do they just say that the economy is picking up when actually it's just made a slight dent in the decrease of the previous months?

Oh well, I remember the days when it was considered okay to give baked goods and stuff like that as Christmas presents. That's the way it should be. This greed thing really depresses me. The only thing that upsets me is if Christmas doesn't bring in the customers, temporary hiring for the season will be down.

[durablend]

8. Cooking up the Halloween projections as well...

Someone was saying they were expecting record sales of costumes, decorations, and candy.

Unless everyone is waiting until the very last minute (which wouldn't surprise me), nobody's buying much of anything, and houses I've seen decorated are very few and far between (at least around here)

[havocmom]

9. Aw, give the kiddies sticks about the size of rifles and have them start

military drills. It is their destiny if their parents do not have the resources to buy lots of cool distractions this year. </sarcasm>

[fairfaxvadem]

12. Ah yes, they say this ever year, I swear.

Downplay expectations and then come January it's "Well, we did better than expected."

Every frigging year...

[Career Prole]

13. Good chance it'll be different this year, I fear.

Santa Claus maxed out the credit cards on groceries and gas at a lot of good boys' and girls' houses this year. :(