Grandparents Market

I recently wrote an article, soon to be published, about the Grandparents market. I am interested in this demographic because of what I found in an article in the Houston Chronicle by David Kaplan entitled, "Toy sellers know who has the money: baby boomers." This story reported on the results of an AARP study on how grandparents spend their money. According to the study:" Grandparents spend an average of $500 a year on each grandchild, collectively $30 billion per year…."

Here is some additional information in the article that will not be found in my column:

70 percent: Of U.S. wealth is controlled by people over 50, according to a consultant at Age Wave.
10 million: The increase in the number of grandparents over the next four years.
$500: Amount that grandparents spend per grandchild per year.
$30 billion: Collective amount grandparents spend on grandchildren annually.
25 percent: Of toy sales are from purchases by grandparents.

Robotic age poses ethical dilemma

The South Korean government has identified robotics as a key economic driver and is pumping millions of dollars into research.

ASIMOV'S LAWS OF ROBOTICS
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law

"The government plans to set ethical guidelines concerning the roles and functions of robots as robots are expected to develop strong intelligence in the near future," the ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said.

Citizens enjoy some of the highest speed broadband connections in the world and have access to advanced mobile technology long before it hits western markets.

The Ministry of Information and Communication has also predicted that every South Korean household will have a robot by between 2015 and 2020.



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WowWee robots invade McDonald's Happy Meals

WowWee's robot empire has seen some frighteningly rapid growth since the first Robosapien rolled off the assembly line, but it doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down, with pint-sized versions of a number of the company's bots now making their way into McDonald's Happy Meals. While the king has sadly been left out, starting today you can get a Walking Robosapien, Roaring Roboraptor, Talking Robosapien V2, Running Roboreptile, Walking Robopet, Chomping Roboraptor, or Stand-Up Robosapien with the purchase of a Happy Meal. Those less interested in fostering the inevitable robot uprising can opt for a My Little Pony toy instead. Of course, all of the bots are decidedly less capable than their pricier counterparts, although we doubt that'll stop some of you from trying to mod them anyway. Check out the gallery below for a better look at 'em.

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Emotion robots learn from people

Making robots that interact with people emotionally is the goal of a European project led by British scientists.

Feelix Growing is a research project involving six countries, and 25 roboticists, developmental psychologists and neuroscientists.

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Study: Kids Get Their Way

The Fall 2006 National Kids Study features the following new highlights from children ages six to 11:

* Forty percent of MP3/Digital Media Player owners reported owning Apple's iPod
* 975,000 have visited/used MySpace.com in the last month
* 2,376,000 have downloaded music online in the last month
* 1,367,000 have written or read an online journal/blog in the last month
* Fifty-four (54) percent (or 13,078,000) have a television in their room
* Twenty-six (26) percent (or 6,263,000) have a stereo in their room
* Nineteen (19) percent (or 4,658,000) have a computer in their room

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Toy Fair '07 winds up with featurebuzz

A survey of the exhibition floor made it clear that toys in all categories continue to trend toward more electronics, interactivity, technology, content and customization. And extending the trend toward technology even further this year were a number of toy lines that can be played with on their own or hooked up to the Internet, including Fisher Price's Funkeys figures for kids as young as 2-4.


Highlights of a very broad product line from Hasbro include the Optimus Prime voice changer helmet and the Ultimate BumbleBee 14-inch action figure with light, music and sound effects that transforms into the Chevrolet Camaro concept car. Hasbro, which holds the licensing rights to Transformers, has signed up 190 licensees of its own for movie-related merchandise.




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GCC toy market grows by 11.8 percent per year

Worth an estimated $1.5 billion a year and with growth rate of 11.8 percent, toys are a serious business for GCC retailers, who are rapidly cashing in on the region’s booming population growth of six percent a year.

Season’s greetings
But although the market has enjoyed a steady and healthy growth over the past three decades, as would be expected from a region where an estimated 50 percent of the population is under 16, unlike other retail markets, selling toys is not all fun and games.



Primarily, it’s a seasonal industry, with approximately 65 percent of a year’s sales taking place during Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Christmas and Diwali. This sets it apart from other retail arenas such as fashion, where the year is broken into spring/summer and autumn/winter collections which sell fairly consistently throughout the year.

“Demand for toys is increasing by around 10 to 15 percent a year,” says their spokesman, who acts as the chain’s main toy buyer consultant.



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Don't fret: Toy guitars let kids rock out

Forget iZ and iDog, critters that rocked to the beat of MP3 players a couple of years ago. Now kids want to rock out themselves, or so manufacturers are betting.

"Just putting music in a toy isn't good enough. There has to be a legitimate play opportunity," says Marc Rosenberg of Zizzle, which is launching a High School Musical-branded guitar, keyboard and drum set ($7.99 each).



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Hot toys for 2007: Flying robots, guitars, and a singing Barbie

MAIN STORY
Toy Fair preview: Eager to recapture kids' attention after the iPod onslaught, toymakers are putting a 'digital' twist on classic toys.
By Parija B. Kavilanz, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Lots of robots
"Optimus Prime voice changer helmet" from Hasbro.
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Lots of robots
Toy robots are a rage this year, thanks to the upcoming July 4 release of the live-action "Transformers" movie from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Hasbro, which owns the Transformers brand has created the "Optimus Prime voice changer helmet" which makes your voice sound like a robot. The product will hit stores in June, selling for $29.99, suggested retail price.

The Air Hogs Robo Copter from Canadian toymaker Spin Master is a pretty cool innovation in the remote-control toy category. With the push of a button, the Robo Copter transforms from a robot to a helicopter. Kids can drive it on the ground or fly it in the air.

"If you're looking for one of the biggest `Wows' of Toy Fair, I think we have it," said Harold Chizick, spokesman for Spin Master.

The Robo Copter is expected to sell in the fall, priced at about $110, for kids 10 years and older.

"Robots are classic toys and a natural place for companies to incorporate new technology," Byrne said. New from Jakks' Xtreme Performance Vehicles (XPV) line of remote-control flying vehicles is the XPV R.A.D. series, which stands for Robotic Air Defense. XPV R.A.D. apparently is a flying RC robot that travels on land and then launches in the air. The company said XPV R.A.D can switch from a standing android to a flying robot capable of performing aerial stunts. The series is expected to sell in the fall.

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