The forthcoming release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" helped kick off the holiday season early this year, with major chains such as Target, Toys R Us, and Wal-Mart staging “Force Friday” events in early September to launch toys, clothing, and other goods licensed from the latest installment of the world’s most popular sci-fi franchise.
With the multigenerational appeal for Star Wars spanning generations X to Z, it’s a foregone conclusion that light sabers and BB-8 robots are going to pop up under the tree this season. In fact, Star Wars is expected to drive $2 billion in retail toy sales through the end of the year.
But not everyone has an unabashed Star Wars fan on their shopping list, and there are plenty of things consumers want to buy during the gift-giving season for kids in their families and for themselves. What other items are likely to be (ahem) a force in holiday retail?
Licensed to sell
While Star Wars’ impact is set to be huge, other licensed goods will also drive holiday toy shopping. Last year, Ouija boards and Lego sets ranked high on Google searches, thanks in part to high-profile movie tie-ins, and Disney’s "Frozen" was a huge sales driver. This year, "Frozen" and "Inside Out" tie-ins are set to drive sales, in addition to superhero movies such as Ant Man, Batman, and Superman.
Toys from Nickelodeon’s canine rescue squad show "Paw Patrol" appeared on NRF’s hot list last year, and more will be available to the preschool set this season, including a Paw Patroller mobile command center playset that made TTPM’s 2015 Most Wanted List. Other perennial favorites for kids include American Girl, Shopkins, Nerf Guns, and Barbies.
The 2015 list includes several toys with added bells, whistles, and tech enhancements. For example, Fisher-Price Smart Toy Bears machine-learn each child’s voice, and downloads updates via wireless network, while the Fisher-Price Imaginext Ultra T-Rex features lights, sounds, and buttons to make the dinosaur walk, stand and move its jaws.
“Whether tech or traditional, play continues to serve three basic functions for kids: It provides new experiences, allows kids to explore their worlds and provides a platform for self-expression,” Chris Byrne, executive vice president and content director of the toy review site, told The Street.
Tech fits all
Adults exchange gifts, too, of course, or just go ahead and buy themselves things they like. Half (50%) of shoppers plan to buy for themselves while shopping for others this season, according to Deloitte’s 30th Annual Holiday Survey, and the biggest spending increases are expected in home furnishings (up 33%) and non-gift clothing (up 26%).
Measuring social media buzz, Adobe’s 2015 Digital Index Shopping Prediction says that 60% of its projected $83 billion in online holiday sales will go toward purchases of consumer electronics. Another 10% of holiday sales transacted on the Web will result from sales of gift cards.
A recent survey from Best Buy confirms that consumer electronics is consumers’ top-ranked category for giving and receiving, especially among millennials. The iPad is No. 1 on the list, followed by Bose noise-cancelling headphones. Also appearing in the Top 15 are three smart TVs, the Fitbit Charge HR (No. 8) and the Apple Watch (No. 12).
All smartwatches are expected to be hot gifts, and online marketplace analytics firm TeraPeak says many consumers will opt for value-priced Android compatibles. TeraPeak and Adobe agree that streaming media players such as Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and Amazon’s Fire TV will be popular, alongside gaming consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation 4. Hobbyist drones will be also hot this year on online marketplaces, TeraPeak says.
“Understand your business, your shoppers and your sales goals—and use careful research to build a holiday strategy and inventory that matches your expertise, connections and capabilities,” the company says. “Find out for yourself what’s likely going to be hot in the areas where you actually are able to sell.”