Chris Taylor

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – If you have your heart set on a certain toy for the holiday season with your children, be aware that it might not be as easy as just walking into a shop and picking it up off a shelf.

Or, perhaps you’ll find yourself in the middle supply chain hell.

Juli Lennett is the U.S. Toy Industry Advisor at The NPD Group.

“This has to do with shutdowns in China due to COVID, the cost of shipping increasing incredibly, the port of L.A. backing up, and the lack of trucks and drivers,” Lennett explains.

There is also a sky-high level of consumer demand. Last year’s toy sales through August were up 18%. This year’s sales are up another 18%, and that momentum is expected to continue barreling through the end of the year, Lennett says.

“There has been an incredible increase in consumer demand,” says Ed Desmond, executive vice president for the trade group The Toy Association. “People have been in their homes for a year and half, and that has affected all kinds of consumer products – including toys.”

The supply chain challenges in the world don’t mean you have no options. The situation requires that holiday planning must be strategic and more thoughtful than ever before.

Five tips from the pros:

Get your stock up now

Although it might sound silly to buy now for an event that is months off, this is exactly what you need to do.

“So many people tend to wait until the holiday season, but there is actually good supply right now on the shelves,” Desmond says. “If you’re in stores for other reasons like back-to-school shopping, and you see something you like, pick it up now.”

CONSIDER TOY POPULARITY

Each year there are some toys that spark imaginations in kids. You should be proactive if what you want falls within this category.

According to NPD Group’s statistics, building sets and trading cards are the most popular new toys. Nine of the top ten fastest selling toys were either baseball or football. In other words, if your kid wants a Lego set for Boba Fett’s ship from the Star Wars character universe — #6 on NPD’s list – start shopping.

Other hot toy lists that could tip you off about impending product squeezes: The Toy Insider https://www.thetoyinsider.com/holiday_guide/hot-20, Amazon (NASDAQ:) https://www.amazon.com/gcx/Toys-we-love/gfhz/events/?categoryId=toys-we-love, Walmart (NYSE:) https://www.walmart.com/cp/top-rated-by-kids/6352450, and Macy’s https://www.macys.com/s/toys-r-us/hot-toy-list.

Use a variety of money-saving strategies

An in-demand product means it will be challenging this year to find attractive discounts – but not necessarily impossible. Andrea Woroch is a consumer finance expert and recommends Honey joinhoney.com which tracks price changes. The Droplist notifies when specific items are discounted.

Be on the lookout also for coupon codes for retailers. Cently is a browser extension that automatically finds coupons for you and allows you to apply them when shopping.

There may be additional savings for your first purchase at the retailer or for signing up for their email list. Some retailers offer discounts for repeat purchases. They will usually refund any difference in the event of a price drop within a few days.

EXPAND YOUR MARKETING

Most consumers have a “go-to” site for many purchases, like Amazon, and don’t search much beyond that. In 2021, you might have to deepen your pool of retailers: just because something is unavailable at one, doesn’t mean it is out-of-stock at another.

Google (NASDAQ: Shopping) Woroch recommends that Google Shopping can be used to compare prices from different retailers.

Woroch also suggests another tip: Curbside pickup is a good option if an item you are interested in is not available elsewhere. Online orders could be cancelled by the retailer if stock is low, so make sure you take advantage of it and get your item.

WIDEN YOUR LIBRARY

Focusing on one thing will make you feel trapped. You have a better chance of finding at least one option, whereas if there are many options you can increase your chances to get it.

This is a great time to manage expectations and allow children to ask Santa for different presents that would make them happy.

“If they want something very specific, you might have to divert them in a different direction,” says Lennett. “Or you could get not that precise product, but something close.”