In with the old, as toy and games makers toast a return to tradition
Toys “R”Us regional president says the most ambitious Chinese parents are bringing them back into fashion, in order to make their children more ‘sociable’
When Apple released its tablet computer the iPad seven years ago, pundits predicted its absorbing applications would sound a death knell to the makers of dolls, action figures, board games and other traditional toys, on which previous generations of children were raised.
But as it turns out, touch-screens have far from ended killing them, but rekindled parents’ interest in them instead, according to the world’s largest toy retailer.
“Categories like family board games, which we were told five years ago were going to die, are absolutely flourishing at the moment,” Andre Javes, president, Asia-Pacific with Toys“R”Us told the South China Morning Post. “This is a very interesting trend.”
The toy industry giant was referring to the ubiquitous table-based games such as Monopoly, chess and checkers, that get the entire family together face-to-face, at a time when most people get increasingly engrossed in the likes of Facebook, Candy Crush or Pokemon Go, on their own.
