Source:
bsc kidsU.S. toy imports drop 9% despite the upcoming holidays. Toy imports to the U.S. sank 9% from September 2010 to September 2011. The U.S. retailers took a wary approach going into the 2011 holiday season, according to “The Journal of Commerce/PIERS. The decline in container volume (mostly from China) is a strong sign that the U.S.stores are troubled by figures showing diminishing consumer confidence. The retailers are choosing to keep inventories smaller rather than discount sales deeply.
“When toy import prices increase, the tendency for demand is to decline . . . 74 per cent of the time.” said Mario O. Moreno, economist for “The Journal of Commerce/PIERS.” As of 2011, the inbound toy shipments began in China which is 89% of the shipments. Labor and material prices are higher because the U.S. dollar’s value against the Chinese Yuan diminished.
It seems to me that merchants are tightening their belts in anticipation of lean holiday season sales. Merchants are looking at figures that show consumer confidence is lessening. The prices of toy imports are growing and people don’t want to pay higher prices. The U.S. dollar has lost worth against the Chinese Yuan. I think that a lot of our imports could be impacted by the loss of the U.S. dollar’s value.
Read more:
http://www.bsckids.com/2011/11/u-s-imported-toys-drop-in-sales/
could this have more to do with kids wanting more video games and other computer and electronic things ?