Toymakers aim for a bit of $9B Halloween spending
Halloween is not just for costume and candy companies anymore as toymakers get in on the spooky action and hair-raising revenue. Total spending for Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation, is expected to reach $9 billion this year.
Marissa DiBartolo, the editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider, tells Fox Business how toymakers plan to take a piece of that billion-dollar projection.
“Now toymakers are capitalizing on this growing Halloween market by introducing toys, and trying to grab a piece of those dollars,” explains DiBartolo. “Toy manufacturers are doing that by putting out a wide range of Halloween toys that appeal to the whole family, so everything from preschoolers all the way up to teens and tweens.”
Additionally, DiBartolo tells Fox Business that parents want ways to engage with their kids year-round and toys are a means to do just that. DiBartolo gives the example of Evil Eye, a suspenseful board game by University Games, where players must try to blow out mini candles before getting caught by the Grim Reaper.
Toymakers are also creating toys that can double as Halloween decorations. “Playmobil is a classic brand that created Take Along Haunted House,” explains DiBartolo. “Parents can leave the haunted house out all Halloween season long while their kids can play with the Playmobil figures and accessories.”
Halloween toys cannot only be spooky accessories and a means for family bonding, but they can also be educational. Zing has created Stikbot Monsters where kids can play with a physical toy monster while also creating animated movies with them. “We call toys like the Stikbot Monsters ‘aspirational play’ where kids are getting interested in careers they may want in the future using these really cool toys,” explains DiBartolo.
To see the Halloween toys in action and Marissa DiBartolo’s full interview, watch the video above.
Emily DeCiccio is a video producer and reporter for Fox News Digital Originals. Tweet her @EmilyDeCiccio.