Survey: Recalls' impact on spending could be less than expected
By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 10/5/2007 8:28:00 AM
DENVER—Consumers’ bark about avoiding toys made in China may be worse than their bite this holiday season, according to a survey of toy shoppers at online retailer eToys.com.
It questioning its customers, eToys found that 37 percent plan to spend the same amount or more on toys this holiday season compared to previous years. And despite this year’s highly publicized recalls of toys made in China, which influenced 59 percent of respondents to said that they believe that toys made outside of the U.S. are less safe than those made domestically, 43 percent of respondents said they would purchase toys this holiday season regardless of their country of origin. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed indicated they won't buy toys made in China and only 25 percent of respondents said they will buy only toys made in America.
The survey also found that 53 percent of respondents believe toys from major toy manufacturers are generally safer than toys from smaller ones, and 56 percent said they will purchase toys only made by companies they know this holiday season.
When asked by eToys.com who bears the responsibility for ensuring toy safety in the U.S., 43 percent of those polled think a federal agency has the primary responsibility for guaranteeing toy safety, followed by 31 percent who think it's the job of U.S.-based toy companies. Only 2 percent of those polled thought an overseas factory is responsible for the safety of toys sold in the U.S.
On the topic of toy pricing versus safety, 45 percent of consumers responding to the eToys.com poll said they were willing to pay more for toys made in America, with 35 percent of respondents willing to pay up to 10 percent more than the current retail price. Slightly more than a third of participants, however, said they are not willing to pay more for toys made in the U.S.
Despite the recent safety concerns, 69 percent of those surveyed admitted that toys are safer now than when they were children.
Of the potential health threats posed by toys, respondents were most concerned with hazardous chemicals in their children’s toys, followed by lead paint and toys containing sharp pieces. Choking hazards from small parts, which according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission pose the greatest safety risk, ranked fourth, followed by "breaks easily" and "contains small magnets."
When asked by eToys.com to interpret age labeling on toy packages, 59 percent of parents correctly stated that age labels indicate the toy is safe for play by children in the indicated range. However, more than a third of those surveyed incorrectly stated that age labels indicate the intellectual capacity required to play with the toys.
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