Move Over Elmo --Talking Globe, High-Tech Watch Tickle Your Fancy
You missed your chance to buy Elmo, last-minute shoppers, but retailers are hoping there’s still time to tickle your fancy with the unique and the upscale.
Aside from fast-disappearing Tickle Me Elmo, the hot sellers this year include animal-print cashmere clothing, watches that give weather and lottery reports, and talking toys that teach.
“Consumers are buying the new product because it’s often more unique, and they’re buying upscale because the economy is good,” said Cynthia Cohen Turk, president of Marketplace 2000, a retail consultant with offices in New York and Miami.
As the holiday shopping season winds to a close, many merchants are hoping to lure shoppers with store displays of such merchandise.
You won’t see as many sales promotions as last year, when merchants stuck with unsold stock tried to boost last-minute business. Sales increased a paltry 2% in 1995 over the previous holiday season.
Retailers adjusted this year by cutting inventory while increasing the proportion of trendy new items in hopes of generating a 5% sales increase.
Results of this strategy won’t be known until early next month, when December sales are reported. But retailers are reporting that unique and upscale items are selling well.
Consumers are snatching up cashmere clothing with leopard spots or zebra stripes at William Randall Cashmere in Beverly Center and William Kasper Cashmere at Century City Shopping Center.
Money doesn’t appear to be an object. A two-piece suit with the animal motif priced at $595 is selling well at William Kasper, according to the store.
“There’s a lot of interest because there’s a limited quantity--and that makes it special,” said Francine Singer, a sales associate at William Kasper. “Some of the pieces are a little pricey, but people have been willing to spend to get something unique.”
Meanwhile, sweatshirts and other active wear with Negro National League baseball team insignia are big sellers in the casual-dress sections of upscale boutiques.
Following the success of caps bearing the logos of squads that played in segregation-era America, Blue Marlin expanded its line last fall with sweatshirts and collar-less Henley shirts. The company’s $63 sweatshirts, $55 Henley shirts and caps in the $30 range feature the insignia of teams such as the New York Black Yankees, the Cuban X Giants and the Baltimore Black Sox.
“The history associated with these products is the appeal for some,” said Erik Stuebe, president of the San Francisco-based clothing manufacturer.
The line is sold at selected Nordstrom stores but is found only in trendy boutiques in Southern California. It’s one of the most demanded items at the Fred Segal store on Melrose in Los Angeles and the two Fred Segal stores in Santa Monica.
The Marlin line is most popular with consumers ages 12 to 30, merchants say.
Young adults are also the primary buyers of the Seiko MessageWatch, a high-tech timepiece currently available only on the West Coast. The message watch provides outdoor temperatures, surf conditions, sports scores, stock market reports, computer e-mail and pager messages in addition to the date and time.
Despite the steep price--it costs up to $189--the Seiko MessageWatch has been the top seller at Affordable Portables, a consumer electronics chain with nine Southland stores.
High-tech toys with educational features and board games for adults are also hot this holiday season.
Mattel’s “Compatibility,” a new board game that uses cards to elicit values and opinions from players, is popular at parties, said Frank Reysen, editor of Playthings, a magazine that tracks the toy and game industry.
“It’s an ice-breaking social game that helps people learn about each other,” he said.
Learning is the appeal of high-tech games such as the Geosafari Talking Globe by Educational Insights.
The electronic globe asks geography questions in a digitized voice. “Where is Egypt? Africa or Asia?” it asks, among other questions.
The globe can be programmed for adults or children. Priced at $99, it sells at stores including Imaginarium, Neiman Marcus and Spiegel.
Geosafari is one of the top sellers of the season, said Stevanne Auerbach, a San Francisco-based toy consultant.
“Parents who couldn’t find Tickle Me Elmo are realizing that they can tickle their kids with unique learning-oriented games that are fun,” Auerbach said.
