FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- YEAR END SALES

FOR FOCUS ISSUE -- YEAR END SALES

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Shopping-yearend-toys

Sudibyo M. Wiradji
Contributor
Jakarta

Price cuts also offered to children's toys

The rapid development of information technology has, to some
extent, contributed considerably to the craze for toys, and most
parents are now inclined to buy those toys best suited to their
children's gender and age.

Finding toys for your beloved children as a gift for the Idul
Fitri, Christmas or New Year's holidays is not a difficult task:
you can find toys in almost every supermarket, mall, and plaza.
However, not all toy stores offer a complete selection of items
in terms of product, exclusivity, and price.

One of the most complete toy stores in town is Toys 'R' Us.
Toys 'R' Us comes from the United States, and has branch stores
at Puri Indah Mall on Jl. Puri Agung, Puri Indah, and at Pasaraya
department store in Blok M.

At these clean and air-conditioned outlets, you can find a
wide range of toys of all shapes and sizes for your children,
whatever their interests and whatever their ages. From the
smallest toys, like the Star Wars Micro Machine measuring 1.5 cm
x 3 cm or matchbox cars at about 2 cm x 5 cm, to the biggest toys
like Play House, measuring 1.75 m x 1 m x 2.5 m, there's
something for everyone at Toys 'R' Us.

The products are manufactured in various countries, including
USA, Germany, Taiwan, China, and Indonesia, but as Venny R.
Brahmana said, "Almost 80 percent of products at our store are
from local suppliers."

Even though the shop offers toys made of a variety of
materials such as wood, rubber, metal, faux fur, plastic and so
forth, the store places quality and safety as their utmost
priority. As a result, they are highly selective in choosing the
toys they stock, for example by checking that the toy is made of
non-toxic materials.

"'Making Learning Fun' is the concept behind Toys 'R' Us.
Here, the toys emphasize creativity, education, and fun for
children. They can enjoy playing with the toys while learning,
and the toys also help to sharpen children's minds," said Venny.

Toys that can stimulate children's minds include Kid Computer
Laptop from V-Tech, a microscope from Oregon Scientific, Lego
building blocks, an interactive robot called Taimya, or
traditional board games like Monopoly.

If you want to find toys that inspire creativity in children,
you can take a look at a wide range of puzzles, finger paints and
colored markers, greeting card design sets, and other arts and
crafts projects, as well as the perennial craft clay, Play-Doh.

Barbie dolls, recently the rage among Indonesian girls, come
with many accessories, dresses, and in different ethnic
representations. There are also kitchen sets and other toys for
them to "play house". For boys, there are model cars, Action
Figures, countless computer games, and Digimon school supplies.

Children under five years of age generally love toys that
provide an introduction to colors, shapes, and sounds that fuel
their curiosity, such as Rattle and Baby Walkers Book. By the
time they are toddlers, they will enjoy conventional toys such as
dolls, toy cars, simple arts and crafts, and games.

Toys 'R' Us isn't all about toys, though, and the store also
stocks other products that can make ideal Idul Fitri or Christmas
gifts. With clothing for infants and toddlers, bicycles, stilts,
picture books, videos of children's programs, cuddly toys, and
even hair clips, it's a one-stop children's store.

The prices depend on factors like quality, brand and material,
and Toys 'R' Us sets competitive prices from Rp 5,000 to over Rp
8 million (about US$885). In order to help parents celebrate Idul
Fitri and Christmas, Toys 'R' Us is holding a sale of up to 70
percent off.

Meanwhile, Kidz Station provides hundreds of toys for both
girls and boys, and are offering several new toys to welcome the
holiday season. Included are a modern rendition of the spin-top
called BayBlade, the Icap Frog and Barbie Rapunzel.

Sensitive to the fact that more parents these days seek toys
with an educational aspect, Kidz Station shops are outfitted with
a special corner for what they call "edutainment" products, which
combine education and entertainment. The toys help stimulate the
intelligence, imagination and creativity of children, ranging
from crayons, color pencils, block puzzles, and even a special
computer through which children may learn a foreign language,
memorize the alphabet, learn how to count, and practice
recognizing different sounds.

"These kinds of toys are not necessarily expensive," a
spokesperson at Kidz Station said.

Prices for toys at Kidz Station also range from thousands of
rupiah to millions of rupiah, depending on the kind of toy and
its quality, size, material and brandname. In addition, Kidz
Station also stocks children's clothing, including shoes and
Islamic apparel.

Kidz Station will also have a store-wide holiday sale
beginning Nov. 15.

With such a variety of toys available at a range of affordable
prices, the difficulty would be in making your final selection!