Toys "R" Us Scares Up Halloween Safety Issue with "Boo" tiques
Toys "R" Us is challenged because most of the purchasing at its stores happens in conjunction with the year-end holidays, but the "boo" tiques the retailer is launching for Halloween will stand out from its competitors and the scores of temporary shops the holiday scares up because of its focus on safety.
The Toys "R" Us safety focus in its Halloween selling plan gives the retailer a chance to express its concern for children and guilt mom and dad into making it their holiday destination at the same time.
Today's petrified parents are continually shaken by cable news and talk show reiteration of the latest child-related tragedies. And ensuing worry has translated into action including parents inventing play dates and other assurances that they'll never be held to blame for a child's misfortune. With Halloween, parents have a multi-generational mythology of worry -- going back to '60- era tales of razor blades hidden in trick or treat apples and LSD laced candy corn -- to ratchet up their anxiety.
So, in addition to an assortment of costumes that surpasses most of the competition, Toys "R" Us "boo" tiques provide light-up lanterns, headbands and candy buckets as well as glowing necklaces, bracelets and masks. Additional items Toys "R" Us offers -- under the theme "Be safe. Be seen. Be spooky." -- include reflectors, flashlights and related illuminations.
Illumination, of a different sort, also is the goal of a dedicated website, Toysrus.com/Safety, that features Halloween-related tips that encompass where, and where not, to trick-or-treat, choosing the right costume for a child, determining which treats kids should accept and selecting safety accessories to use while trick-or-treating, which, of course, the retailer sells.
Halloween has exploded in recent years, and any occasion outside the year-end holidays when Toys "R" Us can generate additional cash to leverage against constant costs brings balance to the business and a hedge against soft sales in the fourth quarter's depths. But the retailer has had difficulty getting a proper piece of the seasonal action. Rivals are simply in a better position to lure casual Halloween customers. Supercenters, drug chains, supermarkets and discount stores offer Halloween candy and adult beverages. And it has been the increasing adult participation in Halloween that has helped blow the holiday out. The Halloween competitors Toys 'R Us faces are conveniently located, regularly shopped and sell the proper holiday treats for young and old.
But Toys "R" Us knows that kids must be satisfied before mom and dad have fun, and it has used safety to make itself a Halloween destination. Safety is a valid reason for a consumer to drive past the supermarket or drug stores for Halloween merchandise and, so, a smart way for Toys "R" Us to make its to makes its mark on the holiday. And one successful seasonal initiative may tempt consumer to check out others the retailer runs for different occasions.
Related: