Demand is rising fast for all things Elmo

NEW YORK — White-hot demand for T.M.X. Elmo — the latest version of the red furry character from Mattel Inc.’s Fisher-Price that has a more pronounced laugh and body movements — is creating a halo effect for other Elmo toys. Toy sellers such as KB Toys Inc. and Toys R Us Inc. are reporting a sales surge in Elmo games, Elmo chairs as well as older versions of the plush doll like Hokey Pokey Elmo.

“A rising tide lifts all Elmo,” said Chris Byrne, an independent toy consultant.

Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman at Toys R Us, said Hokey Pokey Elmo and a plush doll called Sesame Street Potty Elmo, both exclusives from Fisher-Price, as well as Giggle and Shake Elmo plush chairs from Spin Master Ltd., are doing extremely well. Ernie Speranza, KB’s chief marketing officer, said Elmo games are also very popular.

Harold Chizick, vice president of global marketing at Spin Master, said the toy maker has sold out its supply of 500,000 plush Elmo chairs to retailers, and noted that it won’t be able to ship any more this holiday season.

Jupiter predicts robust online holiday sales

“U.S. online holiday sales are expected to rise 18 percent to $32 billion, according to JupiterResearch, an Internet research company.

Jupiter forecasts that the online buyer will spend on average $281 this holiday season, up from $251 a year ago, when overall online sales jumped 23 percent.

Still, retailers will face increasing pressure to meet the demands of procrastinators. More than one-third of online holiday shoppers surveyed will still make online purchases after cut-off dates for standard and free shipping, and one out of three of them say they’re open to paying extra for shipping to ensure on-time delivery, according to an online poll of about 2,200 online users.

“Headed to the mall to look for Jordan court shoes in size 12? Or what about a black cocktail dress for the holidays?

One way of avoiding the usual headaches of running around to see if merchandise is in stock is coming from a new shopping search service that lets people use the Web, their cell phones, or mall kiosks to check for items and reserve them first. Two-thirds of American households already go online to shop.

The free service by NearbyNow Inc., already available at two malls in San Jose, plans to expand to shopping centers in 20 metropolitan cities nationwide within the next nine months.

The Mountain View-based company powers online product searches at shopping malls’ Web sites so consumers can quickly explore by item, brand, or other details. A query brings up the stores that carry the desired products and displays photos of them and other information.

Starting in December, shoppers will be able to make requests to NearbyNow via a cell phone text message.

The search service, which is supported by ads, gets updated inventory data from each store at the mall on average every two days. When a consumer clicks on the button to “reserve this product,” the service will call the store to make sure it’s in stock and put it on hold. Users can get confirmation of reservations by e-mail or text message.

“Shoppers can expect great deals on jeans this holiday season — if they still want them.

After a four year sales surge, consumers are finally losing their appetite for denim products, according to the latest report from NPD Group Inc., a market research company in Port Washington, N.Y.

“Consumers are getting interested in other apparel,” said Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief analyst, citing female shoppers’ increased interest in skirts, leggings and other items.

During the three months ended August, U.S. denim sales dropped 5 percent, a big reversal from the 8 percent gain in the year-ago period. NPD figures also showed that overall apparel sales rose 7.7 percent during that same three-month period.

Teen stalwarts American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. began downplaying their denim assortments in the spring as they anticipated the drop in demand. But department stores were still bullish on denim and may be stuck with piles of jeans and other denim fashions on the selling floor this holiday season, said Cohen.

His prediction: “Don’t be surprised to see denim singled out” as a lead for holiday advertising.