The retailer’s Christmas in July Showcase displayed the top toys tipped for festive success.
Tesco has once again held its Christmas in July Showcase, presenting a huge range of toys, games and puzzles which it believes are destined for success this festive season.
Collectibles and craze lines dominated the displays, with a range of L.O.L. Surprise! SKUs on offer, from pocket money to main-gift pricing. Alongside L.O.L. Surprise! Pets, Confetti Pop, Pearl and other products, fans can also get their hands on the latest addition to the range – L.O.L. Under Wraps. A Tesco Top Toy for 2018, the lozenge-shaped packaging opens to reveal 15 layers of surprises, while kids can use the included spyglass for decoding secret messages.
Slime from Zuru, Smushy Mushy from Bandai, and Moj Moj from MGA, also featured on the collectible and craze racks.
As a trend that shows no signs of slowing, Tesco has gone in hard on toys with an unboxing element. The Christmas range includes Pikmi Pops Season 2 from Flair, MGA’s Ready to Robot, Spin Master’s Party Popteenies and Hatchimals Colleggtibles, and, new from Character Options, Treasure X. A fresh twist on the unboxing craze, Treasure X tasks kids with excavating mini-figures and treasure chests from a ‘brick’ using included tools. To boost collectibility, one in 18 bricks contains a gold-plated treasure piece. Likewise, Mine It also allows kids to get to grips with an excavation, as they dig to reveal a precious stone.
Tesco has placed strong investment behind developing its own-brand range Carousel. This year the brand has welcomed 16 new or refreshed SKUs across two main themes – Pet Shop and Dinosaurs – and has expanded into games & puzzles this year with new additions including Donk-a-Dino, the Pet Mate Chess Set, Safari Surgery, and the Tumble Tower, which retails at £7. Having worked closely with specialist manufacturers to increase quality and the lifespan of product, a new style guide and refreshed packaging has been rolled out across the range to extend appeal and convey a family-friendly message. Big-box sets include the Dolls House and Wooden Train Set, while the £30 Car Transporter, a best-seller last year, is also positioned as a top offering this year. For the outdoor category, Tesco has also introduced Carousel Shape & Play Magic Sand.
Elsewhere, the VTech Fantasy Unicorn, Lego Duplo codable Steam Train and Character Options’ Laser X were all picked out by senior buying manager Claire Urquhart-Deane as best-sellers around the £50 mark.
Claire commented: “Laser X is still performing very strongly for us. With all the hype surrounding Fortnite, and the huge fanbase the game attracts, we are predicting that it will be a best-seller again this year.”
In terms of exclusives, Tesco has plenty to choose from. WowWee’s Fingerlings Glitter Panda will surely prove popular, as will the Play-Doh Canister, which features 20 tubs of dough and 45 accessories. Lego exclusives include the Big Value Pack (two City products and one Classic), the Lego Star Wars Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive, and the Brickheadz Batman and Superman double set. The retailer is placing particular stock on its Lego Unikitty exclusives, however. The character, which first appeared in The Lego Movie, now enjoys its own top rated spin-off series on Cartoon Network, and taps in to the current trend for both unicorns and kittens. Seven exclusive Unikitty SKUs are available, from £3.50-£40.
