USA: Zhu Zhu Pets sales make toy hamsters the hottest item for under the Christmas Tree this year

Record ID: 750039

  • Title: USA: Zhu Zhu Pets sales make toy hamsters the hottest item for under the Christmas Tree this year
  • Date: 27th November 2009
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 25, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ZHU ZHU PETS TOYS TOYS R US SPOKESPERSON ADRIENNE GIORDANO PUTTING TOYS ON SHELF (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADRIENNE GIORDANO, TOYS R US SPOKESPERSON, SAYING: "We have the Zhu Zhu Pets hamster. They're the hottest thing this holiday season. Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters have 40 different sounds each. They come in all different characters. There are two boys and two girls, so little boys and girls are loving them this holiday season, and they're certainly flying off the shelf." ZHU ZHU HAMSTER ON FLOOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADRIENNE GIORDANO, TOYS R US SPOKESPERSON, SAYING: "Well as soon as they're coming into the stores. The Toys R Us stores are receiving regular shipments, and as soon as they're coming in, they're going out." ZHU ZHU HAMSTER ON FLOOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADRIENNE GIORDANO, TOYS R US SPOKESPERSON, SAYING: "We've been providing them to customers from behind the register, because as soon as they come in, like I said, the doors open and Zhu Zhu Pets customers are waiting for their little hamsters."
  • Embargoed: 12th December 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA19YNAL0NU8EOWI0PSDOTFVEVM
  • Story Text: Forget the socks and underwear - this year's big ticket item for under the Christmas tree this season is a tiny toy hamster.
    The Zhu Zhu Pets interactive hamsters have been flying off the shelves as parents in the U.K. and North America snap up the $10 (USD) toys, the moment they arrive in stores.
    "They're the hottest thing this holiday season. Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters have 40 different sounds each. They come in all different characters. There are two boys and two girls, so little boys and girls are loving them this holiday season, and they're certainly flying off the shelf," said Toys R Us spokesperson Adrienne Giordano.
    The Toys R Us inventory of the little hamsters, Mr Squiggles, Num Nums, Chunk, Patches and Pipsqueak, has been turning over so quickly the retailer has all but given up setting up store displays.
    "Well as soon as they're coming into the stores. The Toys R Us stores are receiving regular shipments, and as soon as they're coming in, they're going out," according to Giordano.
    "We've been providing them to customers from behind the register, because as soon as they come in, like I said, the doors open and Zhu Zhu Pets customers are waiting for their little hamsters," she added.
    The hamsters are so hard to find, a huge secondary market has appeared on Ebay, where average prices have soared over $20, and even reached into triple figures.
    The interactive toys respond to touch with squeaks and noises, and run randomly on the floor to explore or react to their environment. Accessories sold separately for the Zhu Zhu Pets include a toy house, a bed and a small car, all of which inspire different reactions by the hamsters.
    Zhu Zhu Pets were launched by St Louis, Missouri based Cepia, which has already shipped six million units of the toys and expect to ship another six million by the end of the holiday shopping season, with sales reaching $400 million for the twelve month period.
    According to Adrienne Citrin, spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association, toy manufacturers were well prepared to weather this year's economic recession by switching to lower priced items.
    "I think shoppers in every arena from toys to apparel to cars - people are evaluating their purchases. But toy manufacturers saw this coming, and toys that they introduced this year were even more affordable than ever, so families have an option and don't feel like they have to settle," said Citrin.
    With the key holiday shopping weekend after Thanksgiving, Toys R Us has planned to entice customers who line up for the midnight opening on Black Friday by giving away the hard to find hamsters to the first 100 customers, and then keep the Zhu Zhu infestation coming.
    "Our Toys R Us stores will be receiving them throughout the day on Black Friday, and then we'll be receiving thousands more throughout December, so customers should always check their local Toys R Us store early and often, and that'll be the best chance of receiving a Zhu Zhu Pet," said Giordano.
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