Meijer Shares Early Glimpse of 2016 Holiday Season's Top 10 Toys

National toy trends focus on customization, learning and interaction with children

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Oct 04, 2016, 10:00 ET

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season's hottest toys aim to give each child a unique experience. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer Meijer is giving customers an early glimpse at those toys that will soon be on wish lists across the Midwest.

"This year's toy trends focus on allowing children to customize the toy to their liking through voice commands and artistic designs, while also learning through interaction," said Dan Myers, divisional merchandise manager of toys for Meijer.

"We know our customers appreciate getting an early look into the hottest toys on Meijer shelves, and we believe our assortment of national brands will continue to make Meijer a toy destination this holiday season."

Myers said about 50 percent of the retailer's toy business is conducted in November and December.

The Top 10 toys include:

Build-A-Bear Stuff Me Station that allows children to build their own bear at home and customize its birth certificate and clothes; no batteries required.
Peppa Pig's Deluxe House comes with three figures and 15 play pieces, including a refrigerator, bathtub and bunk beds.
Paw Patrol Zooming Marshall does more than 80 interactive missions and tricks with more than 150 paw Patrol sounds. Paw Patrol is the retailer's No. 1 preschool brand.
Brightlings is an interactive toy that features more than 100 phrases activated by the way the child holds the toy. It records any sound and plays it back in a unique voice, and also sings six different styles of music, including opera, jazz, beat box and rock.
Hatchimals are interactive, magical creatures that hatch themselves from inside an egg through the child's communication and nurturing. The child raises the toy through the baby, toddler and kid stages.
Furreal Friends Torch My Blazin' Dragon can breathe flame-colored mist that can change colors when fed. Torch responds to touch with more than 50 sound and motion combinations, and can even roast toy marshmallows.
Syma Sky Thunder Drone D550W performs 360-degree stunts, live streams HD video and photos, and can hover automatically. This drone does not require registration with the FAA.
Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Playset features four intersecting tracks and feeder ramp for extra action. There are also crash zones and motorized boosters.
Nerf Modulus Tri Strike Blaster features three different ways to blast that can be used separately or combined for custom configurations. Expand the customizing options with Nerf Modulus Upgrade Kits. Nerf is the retailer's overall top toy brand.
Pie Face Showdown is a hilarious follow-up to the original Pie Face game that debuted last year. It's full of fun and suspense where someone eventually gets splatted in the face with whipped cream.

A b-roll package for media use is available on the Meijer Newsroom at http://newsroom.meijer.com/broll-footage.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 230 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. As a pioneer of the "one-stop shopping" concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, garden centers and electronics offerings. Additional information on Meijer can be found at www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer or @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.