Alphabet and Tesla Earnings, Powell Speech and More: What to Watch This Week
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Toy makers nix batteries, other materials to save costs during tariff war
By Arriana McLymore and Nicholas P. Brown NEW YORK (Reuters) -This holiday season, U.S. parents may have to make an extra pit stop - not for toys, but for the batteries that power them, as manufacturers pare down on frills and packaging to cut costs amid rising tariffs. Toy makers that serve retail giants like Walmart, Target and Amazon are reducing the number of accessories in toy kitchen sets, removing batteries from electronic playsets, simplifying doll makeup and reducing packaging, as a 30% blanket tariff currently imposed on Chinese imports puts a damper on their bottom lines. The duties imposed on China by U.S. President Donald Trump are particularly painful for companies like Hasbro and Mattel, as 80% of toys sold in the U.S. come from China, according to trade group The Toy Association. Educational toy maker Popular Playthings - whose China-made animal sets, trucks, and magnetic food sets can be bought on Amazon - is delaying and paring down a magnetic cake set it had planned to launch in June, CEO Jason Cheung said in an interview. The company is reducing the power of the magnet, using cheaper packaging, and removing one of two serving plates that were to come with the set -- all while upping the price from $29.99 to $34.99. "Originally it would come with two plates so two kids can have cake at the same time,' Cheung said. Now, "one (child) will serve, while the other can eat." "Still multiplayer, but less cost," Cheung said, while adding "the original item would have been better." Toys are a top category in the U.S. holiday shopping season, the biggest spending season of the year. Adobe Analytics projected an $8.1 billion online spend on toys last holiday season, marking a 5.8% increase from the previous year. Toy maker Basic Fun!, which sources most of its products from China, makes 40% of its annual sales in North America through Amazon, meaning the company can't risk removing merchandise from the ubiquitous e-commerce platform this holiday season, CEO Jay Foreman told Reuters. The company, which also sells to Walmart and Target, is offering retailers the option to remove batteries from the packages of its electronic toys, and plans to reduce or remove its toys' packaging in 2026, said Foreman. "The consumer will either pay more or get less value," Foreman said. Some companies, like Bratz and L.O.L. Surprise! dolls-maker MGA Entertainment, are moving supply chains out of China, - a costly endeavor - while others are reducing the number of items available on shelves this winter. Isaac Larian, the CEO of MGA Entertainment, one of the biggest U.S. privately-held toy companies, said it takes nine to 12 months to make cost-cutting changes to toys. MGA is planning to modify its products for later next year. "But we cannot take the magic out of the box," Larian said. "Too much cost-cutting, destroys the play value for the toy, and you turn off the kids." Historically, sector giant Mattel has invested in more "playable packaging" -- making the boxes part of the game itself -- to reduce costs. Hasbro, which sources roughly 50% of its U.S. toy and game volume from China, said on a Wednesday earnings call it "retooled and reimagined" its board games Candy Land and Operation, as part of a larger initiative to revamp its materials sourcing, manufacturing processes, designs and packaging to help with cost reductions amid tariffs. ECR4Kids - whose roughly 1,000 school and daycare supplies range from toys and games to bookshelves and play mats - also sources primarily from China, and makes "well over 50%" of its revenue from selling wholesale to Amazon, according to managing partner Lee Siegel. "We're very tethered to Amazon," Siegel told Reuters, explaining that he can't make substantive changes to the products he sells on the platform, including a $175 foam climbing set for toddlers. For some products, though, the company is reducing variations in color and model, and prioritizing more efficient packaging that uses every inch of space. These kinds of efficiency efforts were on Siegel's radar even before tariffs, he said. "But now, you really have no choice." Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla shares drop almost 6% after results
LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) -Tesla shares fell nearly 6% in early trading in Europe on Thursday, after Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker posted its worst quarterly decline in sales in over a decade. Shares in the company were down 5.7% in Frankfurt, having dropped 5% in after-hours trading on Wall Street on Wednesday. Tesla's second-quarter profit missed analysts' expectations, yet its profit margin on making cars was not as bad as many had feared. On a conference call, chief executive Musk said U.S. government cuts in support for electric vehicle makers could lead to a "few rough quarters" for the company before a wave of revenue from self-driving software and services begins late next year. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
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AI-powered ads to drive growth for global entertainment and media industry, PwC says
By Harshita Mary Varghese -Growing use of artificial intelligence in advertising is expected to boost the global entertainment and media industry's revenue to $3.5 trillion by 2029, according to PwC. The industry is projected to record a compound annual growth rate of 3.7% until 2029, the consulting firm said in its Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2025-29 on Thursday. The growth will also be supported by non-digital categories such as live events. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Economic uncertainty from inflation and shifting trade policies are prompting consumers to cut back on non-essential spending, pressuring entertainment subscriptions, movie outings and digital media. At this time, advertising is emerging as a significant driver of revenue growth for the industry at-large, PwC said. BY THE NUMBERS Digital formats, which accounted for 72% of overall ad revenue in 2024, will rise to 80% in 2029, with new technologies including AI and hyper-personalization expected to drive more end-market uptake, the report said. Ad revenue from connected TV is expected to rise to $51 billion in 2029, driven by higher digital engagement, PwC said. The industry is also set to benefit from strong video games revenue, which is forecast to grow to about $300 billion in 2029. KEY QUOTES "There's certain general macroeconomic pressures on individuals, families and advertising starts to subsidize a lot of that," said Bart Spiegel, global entertainment and media leader at PwC U.S. The industry "has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, but companies will need to remain nimble and proactive to embrace the future and satisfy consumers in an ecosystem that rewards creativity and tailored content," Spiegel said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
