What's under the tree this Christmas season? 'Made in USA' toys
Posted Sep 19th 2007 3:36PM by Julie Tilsner
bloggingstocks.com
"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" ...and toys made in America.
An article in today's Wall Street Journal describes how domestic toy makers now have a possible leg up on the competition as consumers head into the holiday buying season. The few remaining domestic toy manufacturers are reportedly launching marketing campaigns aimed at showing consumers their all-American, all-safe wares.
Seems "Made in America" is once again a selling point, especially to parents looking to avoid toxic levels of lead paint that have prompted four major toy recalls in recent months. All of the toys recalled have come from China, manufactured for major toy companies such as Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT).Just today, Mattel is making headlines after a congressional subcommittee released documents showing that some Mattel-made toys recalled this summer contained lead amounts more than 180 times the federal safety limit.
But what's been a huge headache for Mattel is now seen as an opportunity for small, domestic toy makers. According to the article, one such company, K'Nex Industries Inc., a family-owned business that makes the plastic construction sets that three-year-old boys seem to love, spent much of August redesigning its packaging to reflect the fact that it's made in America.
Companies are slapping flags onto their websites and big MADE IN THE USA stickers onto their packaging. Toy retailers such as Toys "R" Us and FAO Schwartz are also reportedly making sure their sales people are able to help parents find the country of origin before purchasing a toy this season.
It will still be an uphill battle to find toys that are made right here in America -- some 80% of toys are now made in China, the result of years of outsourcing and bottom-line thinking by manufacturers. And as any parent knows, those European toys can be pretty pricey.
But if there's a market, someone will rush to fill it. Do American parents have the consumer chops to create a thriving, new, good old-fashioned toy industry again in this country? Watch this space. |
