| Aging baby boomers, who once spend a delightful | | | | a technology-driven toy that enables grandchildren to |
| childhood playing with their favorite toys, are now | | | | send digital photographs via e-mail to their |
| spending a lot on toys for their grandchildren. This | | | | grandparents while they are on holiday. Baby boomer |
| tendency on the part of the baby boomers has | | | | grandparents are more comfortable with modern |
| helped toy manufacturers make colossal profits. | | | | technology than any other generation. They are at |
| As per the predictions made by certain consultants, | | | | ease when they purchase modern, technology-driven |
| the following four years will see about 10 million | | | | gadgets. |
| grandparents. The number of grandparents increases | | | | Some baby boomer grandparents take special care in |
| every year. The largest number of grandparents are | | | | selecting the toys they want their grandchildren to |
| those who were born in 1957, a year noted by | | | | have. They rightly realize that children appreciate gifts |
| demographers for its largest number of births. | | | | such as Internet games, iPods, and CDs. However, |
| As per a survey, people above the age of 50 control | | | | baby boomer grandparents are not that particular |
| around 70 percent of the wealth of America. | | | | about purchasing these items because they know |
| Surveys have also shown that grandparents spend | | | | that the kids will get it anyhow. Baby boomer |
| around 500 dollars per year on a single grandchild. The | | | | grandparents are more particular about their |
| total amount of money that grandparents spend on | | | | grandchildren experiencing the same type of |
| their grandchildren is 30 million dollars every year. | | | | childhood they once enjoyed--exploring the |
| About 25 percent of the toys are, therefore, | | | | environment, playing social games, and riding bikes |
| purchased by grandparents. | | | | with family members. |
| Activities of Companies to Attract Baby Boomer | | | | Unique Nature of Baby Boomer Grandparents |
| Grandparents | | | | While parents give children toys in order to promote |
| According to Kevin Curran, the general manager and | | | | learning and creativity, baby boomer grandparents |
| senior vice-president of Fisher-Price, the rise in the | | | | wish to promote learning in their grandchildren in |
| sale of it toys can be attributed only to the rising | | | | unique ways They want to instil in their grandchild a |
| number of grandparents. This company manufactures | | | | love of nature and an awareness of global issues. |
| and sells toys that are more old-fashioned than those | | | | They want to give quality time to their grandchildren |
| manufactured by other companies. Toys such as | | | | so that the kids would learn about the value of |
| "Little People," about forty-five years old, have | | | | family. During the kids birthdays or at Christmas, they |
| broken sales records. Fisher-Price also publishes a | | | | prefer to purchase toys such as science project kits. |
| magazine called "Loving Your Grandbaby," in a bid to | | | | The generation of baby boomers has a unique |
| attract aged buyers. | | | | history. Since the parents of baby boomers had just |
| KB Toys has launched the Grandparents' Rewards | | | | survived the Second World War, they wanted to |
| Club, which aims at sellings toys to grandparents at a | | | | ensure a safe and happy life for their chidren. Now, |
| 10 percent discount every Tuesday. This sales event | | | | the grandchildren and children of these baby boomers |
| is conducted in three venues in Houston--Baybrook, | | | | have the best that life can offer them. Baby boomer |
| Almeda, and Willowbrook malls. KB toys developed | | | | grandparents wish to gift toys to their grandchildren |
| this sales strategy because it was very much aware | | | | as a means of going back to their own childhood |
| that a large segment of its consumers comprised | | | | days. |
| baby boomer grandparents. | | | | The character of baby boomers is just as unique as |
| Sababa Toys aims at bringing back classic toys to | | | | their history. They desire their grandchildren to focus |
| the market in order to attract baby boomer | | | | on achievements and education. Baby boomers went |
| grandparents. Sababa products include Grandparent's | | | | to college and got a college degree with a strong |
| Treasure Chest Scrapbook, wood puzzles, and toys | | | | belief that anything is possible in life. They have |
| that promote learning such as Big Brain Academy and | | | | taught the same attitude toward life to their |
| Brain Age. | | | | grandchildren too. |
| How Do Boomer Grandparents Select Toys? | | | | The toy industry in now targeting baby boomer |
| Baby boomer grandparents prefer toys of a certain | | | | grandparents more and more. Their love for their |
| category. They are interested in toys that promote | | | | grandchildren, their affluence, and the fact that they |
| learning and creativity, especially in art and music, | | | | have spent their money more powerfully than any |
| toys that evoke memories of the past such as | | | | other generation in the history of America are |
| Price's Telephone and Snoopy Sniffer, and also | | | | reasons for this. |
| contemporary toys such as Kid-Tough Digital Camera, | | | | |