K.A.G.O.Y. (“kids are getting older, younger”) is an acronym
that popped up in the toy industry literature about 6 years ago.
KAGOY is the allure, to younger kids, of toys meant for older
kids, for example, 6 year old girls abandoning baby dolls for
make-up and their male counterparts leaving their Legos for
video games. A recent Google search of K.A.G.O.Y. revealed that
age compression is still an ongoing phenomenon and is becoming
even more pervasive.
So what is an internet toy retailer, much less a brick and
mortar toy retailer, to do? If you’re not selling electronic
games, what can you do to attract young customers and keep them
coming back to your website in the future?
Most kids over 6 years old may seem to have abandoned
traditional toys, but they tend to become more involved in
sports. Choosing action toys that encourage skillbuilding in
sports they participate in, like soccer, baseball and karate,
may be one strategy. A good example of this is the O-Ball. This
hollow toy is about 6” in diameter with a shell of webbed, hardy
plastic. It’s a great toy for a newborn child because they can
grab it and safely put it in their mouth. A young child can
learn throwing and pitching skills with it because it is so easy
to grab and hold. Take a look at the O-Ball at:
http://www.sillyasstoys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=
83
Offering toys that have a sports theme is also a strong selling
tool. An example of this is the Inside-out Ball, a soft plastic
ball that looks like a sports ball (baseball/basketball/soccer
design) on the outside, but once it is turned inside out, the
ball looks like a sea anemone. The Inside-out Ball is even large
enough for kids to stretch over their heads for a “spiky hair”
look. It appeals to both the sports side and the goofy side of
kids. It sells to kids as young as 3 and as old as 18! Check
them out at:
http://www.sillyasstoys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=
457
K.A.G.O.Y. kids also are very visual and interactive. Since
one-on-one demos are impossible on web sites, video demos can
intrigue young shoppers. D’Lites is a magic light trick item
that www.sillyasstoys.com sells and there is a funny and
effective video presentation on the product page. After looking
at the video, a customer realizes, with a little practice in
front of a mirror, he or she can master the trick and look very
cool in a crowd. Watch the videos at:
http://www.sillyasstoys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=
49 . For the Noseflute, www.sillyasstoys.com has a “five easy
lessons” video with the president of the company doing several
well-known songs. If nothing else, it’s great entertainment that
attracts kids to the web site. You can view these videos at:
http://www.sillyasstoys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=
82.
These are just a few ideas of how to interest younger kids in
toys and how to pique their interest in your products if you
have an online toy store.
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