The Finish Line

This shortened Christmas shopping season (five less shopping days this year than last) will soon be over and we can start determining the final results of what can only be described as one terrible retail environment. 

The toy industry has been faring better than most other sectors so hopefully most of us will make it through.  Let’s just hope that 2009 will be a better year. 

I will be in Hong Kong after the first of the year to start taking the industry’s temperature. It will be interesting to see how retailers and manufacturers respond. Will they be optimistic about 2009 or will they contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy by taking fewer chances.

I am hoping that it will be the former. We in Toy Nation have enormous impact on the happiness of people all over the world. We help make life more bearable for adults and children by providing products at generally affordable prices that provide an abundance of joy and comfort. These are things that are particularly needed in tough times. So, let’s let our essential optimism shine through and continue to do our important job of turning out products that delight, amaze, teach, connect and make people laugh.