November 21st, 2008
Have two 5 year olds in my house who would be heart broken if they don’t get this stupid toy. I spoke with a Toys R Us employee who said they are being bought by the cart full by ebayers who sell them at 3x the price. I guess that is a free market economy, but kids wind up getting hurt.
This is among the oldest tricks in the book by retailers. They deliberately understock the hottest toys during the Christmas season to ensure sales are up in January and February when the Christmas rush is over.
This is how it happens. They market the heck out of the hottest toy. Parents promise it to children…parents cannot get it as it goes out of stock quickly, but parents still have to buy their child a gift, and so retailers still get sales. Thus, after Christmas, suddenly availability is way up, and parents then go out and buy the gift that they not only promised to their kids, but that they also deem hard to get.
Trust me, it happens EVERY year. This is a known tactic in the retail sector, especially with toys. You just need to learn to teach your kids not to expect the hottest items right away. Its not always easy mind you, but it will save you frustration and from overpaying/buying more toys than you ordinarily would.