Suppliers Predict This Summers Amusement Merchandise Hits

Life comes at you fast, and trends shift even more quickly. Today's market for skill cranes, prize venders and ticket redemption operations can change in a blink of an eye. Perceived values drop suddenly as a fickle market moves on to the newest craze. And today's merchandise trends are increasingly driven not only by tightly scheduled blockbuster movies, classic favorites and so-called "evergreens," but also by social media.

In the midst of the busy summer months, operators and suppliers are expressing confidence they have the product range to keep players playing -- thanks to continued improvement, well-timed licensing agreements and a sharp eye on the marketplace.

Spinner and fidget items are going to last through summer, according to BMI Merchandise's Shelly Fernandez-Katz. "We have new versions of those items as they reinvent themselves," she said. "Licensed superheroes are still important, too, with the Wonder Woman, Batman, Spider-Man and Despicable Me lines."

Suppliers and operators need to get the right mix between hot generic goods and high-profile licensed novelties. "Customers are very smart," she said. "They want value merchandise. You have a much smarter consumer out there these days, including kids. The merchandise catches on so fast. Like spinners, it happened almost overnight. And they had no advertising. It was all social media."

It is notable that fidget spinners, a toy consisting of a bearing in the center, are generic -- not dependent on a name brand for appeal. However, this also makes them a much trickier proposition compared to licensed movie products with a popularity spike that can be timed around a film's release and accompanying promotion. Assuming Fernandez-Katz's assumption, that they maintain popularity through summer, is correct, they may in fact remain in demand through winter.

Generic Options

In this brave new world, even generic merchandise needs an extra boost. Play Time Toys, for instance, is boosting perceived value with its exclusive "2 for 1 Buddy Mixes," which include Pucker Pals and Lemonhead Buddies.

"Buddy Mixes give the player a double win," said Play Time's Karen LaForce. "Each mix in the series includes plush with candy or a novelty item. This gives players more value and operators have found they're a good alternative to higher-priced licensed plush products."

Buddy Mixes come assembled, and are particularly popular as a single selection in skill cranes. For its licensed brands, Pay Time Toys is selling a good amount of Trolls, Minions and Shopkins, among other tie-ins this season. Those high-value items are strong performers in redemption centers.

"Smart watches are also huge, so is anything with a remote control, like drones," LaForce said. "VR viewers are also going strong."

Citing the fidget spinner phenomenon and mythical creatures, Redemption Plus's Tabatha Bender noted that the "non-licensed" trend appears to be gathering steam. "Unicorns are also huge right now, from preteens to teens to millennials. They're very deeply rooted in pop culture."

Like Fernandez-Katz, Bender attributes their popularity to social media. (Starbucks took to social media this past spring to promote its Unicorn Frappuccino.)

Redemption Plus is also having success with its line of giant tennis balls. The 8.5" diameter balls have become favorites among many of the company's customers. "Not everyone has them, but those who do have them are doing really well with them," Bender said.

The Industry Factor

"Overall the industry is doing very well. It's growing," Bender said. "New [family entertainment] centers are opening up, and established ones are either opening new locations or adding attractions."

Bender's assessment is echoed by others. As family entertainment center chains expand in terms of locations and demographics, they have increasingly entered the top tier of leisure choices of customers ranging from preteens to millennials, and older. They have also set the standard when it comes to redemption and crane merchandise. "If you're an independent FEC, your merchandise now has to look like what's offered at a chain," said one operator. "The chain FECs are definitely influencing the industry in that way."

Another influence of the large chains is establishing what one industry pro labeled as "best practices" when it comes to creating product mixes for redemption counters. Independent FECs are not just following the toy trends, but also the percentages of high-ticket, midrange and low-end products they're using in their operations.

Getting the most out of upward trends demands a thoughtful approach to merchandise. This year, it seems the amusement industry is prepared for the challenge.

BIG TIME FUN: Redemption Plus puts new twist on favorites by making them larger than life. The concept, demonstrated here by Ziggy, combines summertime fun with a generic product.

SUMMER SPEED: Fidget spinners and 2 for 1 Buddy Mixes (Lemonhead Buddies shown here) are among Pay Time Toys' fast-moving amusement items.

WINNING MIXES: BMI Merchandise offers a wide selection of high-appeal licensed products. Pictured here, from left, are BMI's Eddie, Michael and David Katz, Michael Maresca and Dave Schwartz.