The holiday season continues to loom large on the horizon, and as the toy wars of 2018 continue, another player has entered the octagon – JCPenney! As the retailer continues their evolution and gets back into categories like baby products, this fall marks the one-year anniversary of their successful toy shops. Like many of my generation, the JCPenney Christmas Catalog was a must-read while growing up, and now a hint of that spirit is coming back as they unwrap their Top 20 Toys list, “inviting shoppers to discover the most popular toys sure to top kid’s wish lists this Christmas.” The JCPenney Top 20 Toys will be featured prominently within a dedicated toys book, which will be delivered to customers’ homes in time for the holiday season and will include a sticker sheet enabling kids to mark the items they want from Santa.
“Toys always top kids’ Christmas wish lists and this season we’ll be here to help Santa – and parents – deliver smiles on Christmas morning,” said James Starke, senior vice president and head of merchandising for JCPenney. “Along with our Top 20 Toys list and new toy book, we’ve added 40 percent more toys, games and plush toys to our assortment from the industry’s leading brands.”
JCPenney curated the hottest toys of the season and developed its Top 20 Toys list based on a variety of factors including industry trends, customer feedback and toys that brought kids’ favorite TV shows and movies to life. The Company’s Top 20 Toys list includes:
Collectibles craze:
- Fingerlings® BFF, $14.99
- L.O.L Bigger Surprise™, $89.99
- Pomsies™, $14.99
- Hairdorables®, $14.99
- Cutetitos™, $11.99
Favorite characters come to life:
- LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts™ Great Hall, $99.99
- Paw Patrol™ Ultimate Firetruck, $59.99
- Barbie® Ultimate Kitchen with Doll, $49.99
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action™ Figures, $8.99
- Talking Woody or Talking Buzz, $25 each
- PJ Masks® Vehicles, $14.99 each
- Mickey Mouse® 90th birthday plush, $18
Move and groove:
- NERF® Megastrike Thunderhawk, $49.99
- Little Tykes® Basketball Goal, $24.99
- Fisher-Price® Double Dance and Sing Along Mat*, $79.99
Play with me:
- New product from Hatchimals®, hatching Oct. 5, $59.99
- Baby Alive Potty Dance Baby™ $49.99
- Furreal Friends® Chompn’ Dino™, $49.99
- Melissa and Doug® Rolling Shopping Cart, $24.99
- Monopoly® Cheaters Edition, $24.99
In addition to the Company’s Top 20 Toys, the toy shops inside every JCPenney store are packed with fun that appeals to a variety of ages and interests. Shoppers will find family board games, character toys, baby dolls, arts and crafts, collectible surprise toys, vehicles, action figures and more. LEGO building blocks are now featured prominently in the toy shops with more playsets than ever before and over 300 LEGO items can be found at JCPenney.com this holiday season. Over the last year, JCPenney has also doubled its assortment of Fisher Price educational toys for babies, toddlers and kids.
Kids Zone events
Each month, next to the toy shops, JCPenney hosts free activities for our youngest shoppers. Kids, along with their parents, are invited to a festive, interactive Kids Zone workshop taking place in all JCPenney stores from 11 am to 12 pm, local time. Upcoming, hands-on events include decorating a greeting card on Sept. 15, creating a scarecrow or haunted house on Oct. 13 and a limited-edition Kids Zone event with Nickelodeon on Nov. 10. Kids receive a collectible pin for every project they finish. And after each event, adults will receive a special 10 percent off coupon to use in-store on the day of the event. This coupon can be used in addition to current marketing promotions for maximum savings.
