Area retailers expect flat-screen TVs, Blu-ray players, toy hamsters to be among most popular Christmas gifts

Blu-ray disc players, clothing, flat-screen televisions and toy hamsters are among the hottest gift items area retailers expect consumers to buy this Christmas.

"Shoppers seem to come out to get that hot item, even in an economy like this," said Best Buy general manager Ramon Campos. "We've put ourselves in a position to have more of those sought-after items on hand this year. Though it's difficult to predict how everything will turn out in the end, I'm hopeful that many popular items will be available."

According to the National Retail Federation's 2009 Top Toys survey, video game systems, Barbie dolls and Transformers are among the most popular items consumers plan to buy for Christmas. However, many retailers said they're having trouble keeping the small Zhu Zhu interactive toy hamster in stock. Priced as low as $7.99 in stores, the toy hamsters can be found on the Internet auction site eBay for as much as $60.

"Since retailers place holiday orders long before the hot toys emerge, some new additions to the list this year are already hard to find," said National Retail Federation president and chief executive officer Tracy Mullin. "With companies offering great prices on toys this year, shoppers may want to act fast if they have one of these items on their shopping lists."

Scott Thorne, a professor of marketing at Southeast Missouri State University, said toys such as the Zhu Zhu hamsters are hot items because they are considered cute.

Stephen Hemby stocks DVDs Tuesday at Target in Cape Girardeau. Blu-ray discs and players are popular this holiday season.

"Generally a cute toy is one of the most sought-after items each year," Thorne said. "Scarcity really drives demand. If an item is seen as hard to get, people want it that much more."

The National Retail Federation survey found that slightly more consumers will purchase toys this year, up from 41.6 percent in 2008 to 42.2 percent this year.

"Generally there are only a couple of really hot items out each Christmas, usually a toy for younger kids, such as Tickle Me Elmo and one for older kids, generally whatever is the newest hot video game or gaming system," Thorne said. "Though there may be several toys in demand, there is generally only one hot toy per season. There just isn't room for more than one in the consumer's mindset."

While consumers will purchase their share of high-priced ticket items, $10 toys and DVDs, $25 designer clothing and gift cards are expected to be popular gifts as well.

Emily Zimmerman, executive team leader at Target, isn't surprised that consumers may opt for some of the lower-priced items. She said consumers are looking to stretch their dollars.

"Last year we didn't seem to be affected very much here by the economy," Zimmerman said. "On Black Friday we had customers lined up all day. I think this year will be similar.

"People don't seem to cut out spending for their families and friends, though they might opt for lower-priced gift items," she said. "Like other stores, we'll offer some really good deals that people will jump at."

Zimmerman said electronics and clothes will be Target's most popular items.

"Electronics are always the items we'll sell the most of," Zimmerman said. "The flat-screen TVs are a trendy thing that more and more people want so they can entertain their friends and family. And the Wii games will sell out quickly, since they're becoming a way for friends to gather around and play for hours with one another."

Jason Longwith, manager of Brown's Shoe Fit Co., said Ugg boots will be a top seller.

"They've been pretty popular in the past years, and it's been a big fashion item," Longwith said.

John Selby, owner of Stereo One, said Blu-ray disc players will be a hot item because of their superior image quality.

"They have six times the amount of detail of a standard DVD," Selby said. "They're pretty phenomenal in what they produce on your television screen. We'll probably get a lot of customers looking to purchase that item among others."

Another item he believes could prove popular is the turntable to play vinyl records.

"The vinyls are coming back," Selby said. "It's not just the nostalgic experience that people once had a few decades ago, but people are realizing how much better the sound is than a CD."

Campos expects the Blu-ray disc players, Sony electronic book readers and flat-screen televisions to be the most popular items at Best Buy.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

Pertinent addresses:

115 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO

345 S. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO

202 Siemers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

3026 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO