Latest news with #ChristmasShopping
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Big W brings back its massive toy sale with up to 50 per cent off - here are the top items expected to sell out
Big W has launched its annual toy sale, with shoppers racing into stores to grab best-selling items. The retailer's 'Big Whopping Toy Sale' features more than 500 popular toys with prices slashed - making it the perfect time for budget-conscious parents to start their Christmas shopping early for their kids. With prices on some of the hottest toys - including brands like LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Bluey - reduced by more than 50 per cent, Aussie shoppers have already shared their excitement about stocking up on bargain buys. 'Get ready - time to do that Christmas lay-by for the kids,' read one comment on the Big W Mum's Facebook page. 'I can't wait for this,' added another. Speaking to FEMAIL, Big W's Chief Toy Buyer Christine Faulkner has highlighted this year's predicted best-selling toys and the best discounted items to look out for. For toy car lovers, the Hot Wheels City Ultimate T-REX Transporter is tipped to be a great pick-up following a huge price reduction from $119 to $59. The T-REX transporter has the ability to 'gobble' and 'haul' over 20 toy cars at once, and is enhanced by lights and sounds – including glowing eyes and chomping noises. Parents' of dinosaur-obsessed kids will also want to check out the Jurassic World Chaos Theory All-Out Attack T-REX Figure, now priced at $40, offering a $49 saving. Inspired by the Jurassic World: Chaos Theory movie, the battery-powered action figure springs to life with roaring sounds while thrashing its neck and chomping its teeth. An under $20 bargain buy that's sure to delight Barbie fans is the Barbie Party Unboxed Pet Birthday Surprise, which has been reduced by more than half price to $19. The perfect birthday gift, this lucky-dip style of toy contains '10 surprises in one package' – including one of three Barbie dolls: Birthday Bows, Shimmerin' Hearts or Party Stars. Ms Faulkner also highlighted mega savings on a toy from the iconic Furby range in the Furby Tie Dye Interactive Toy, marked down from $100 to $49. The electronic plush toy adorably responds to voice commands and physical interaction, with one five-star review describing it as a 'blast from the past'. For the littlies, timeless children's toy brand Fisher Price's Little People Ultimate Gift Set has been marked down to $69. The farm-themed set offers hours of playtime fun with interactive playsets, vehicles, figurines, animals and accessories – all perfect for small hands and designed to encourage early learning. Toddler parents' will also want to check out the Toniebox Playtime Puppy Starter Set, which is an audio system that plays children's songs and is built to withstand both snuggles and rough play. The pricey gadget has been reduced to $149, with one gushing review from a 'toddler mum' describing it as their 'saviour'. 'My toddler is obsessed with it, uses it to dance daily or relax for quiet time!' they added. Finally, bigger kids and grown-ups-who-are-kids-at-heart will want to check out the large-scale LEGO projects included in the sale. Both the LEGO Technic Ferrari SF-24 F1 Car and the LEGO Technic 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R have been each knocked down by 20 bucks, respectively priced at $249 and $179. Meanwhile, the LEGO Disney Classic Angel 784 piece kit from the Lilo & Stitch movies has been marked down from $99 to $79. For those that love a LEGO challenge, these bigger construction sets have all been discounted. From L-R: LEGO Technic Ferrari SF-24 F1 Car $249, LEGO Disney Classic Angel $79 and the LEGO Technic 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R $179 Ms Faulkner said shoppers would be pleased see 'some of the classic brands, from LEGO to Barbie and Hot Wheels' featured in this year's sales and anticipated to be among the biggest sellers. 'If it's building, collecting or adventuring, there's a toy on the list to pique every kind of interest,' she told FEMAIL. Budget-conscious shoppers planning ahead for Christmas also have the option of snapping up the toy sale bargains early by utilising the store's lay-by option. The mass retailer offers $3 extended lay-by, which enables customers to pay off purchases over 21 weeks. Lay-by purchased toys are then stored at the shop, with collection only required by November 7, 2025. Ms Faulkner described the lay-by option alongside the reduced toy sale prices as 'the ultimate parent hack.' 'Customers can budget ahead of the Christmas rush by starting their shopping in June and paying off their purchases throughout the year with our extended 21 week lay-by option, making it easier than ever to shop big without splurging all at once,' she said.
Wall Street Journal
13-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Hassett Says Shelves Will Be Stocked for Christmas
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said he doesn't expect shoppers to find empty shelves in stores while Christmas shopping, now that the U.S. and China have agreed to lower tariffs for the next 90 days. Hassett said even with higher tariffs, shoppers wouldn't have seen empty shelves until the end of summer. 'Now there's smooth sailing all the way through for Christmas,' he said during a CNBC interview.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Small business owners on damage from Trump's tariffs
Beth Benike is a mom, a veteran, and a small business owner – and she's sounding the alarm. "I've been telling all of my friends and family that anything you want for Christmas, to get it right now, especially if you're buying for children. If you are buying any baby products at all, get them while they're here, because they're gonna be gone." After a decade serving in the Army, stationed in Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq and beyond, Benike started Busy Baby, a Minnesota company that designs and sells placemats and utensils for babies and toddlers. All her products are made in China. And now, those products are subject to President Trump's 145% tax on Chinese imports. "We have three months' worth of products sitting at the factory," Benike said. "And now, in order to get it here, we need $230,000 on top of what we've already paid for the product, just to get it in the country." "Can you afford that?" I asked. "Oh God, no," Benike replied. "So, what do you do?" "First, I sat on my kitchen floor and cried," Benike said. "And when I was on the floor in the kitchen, my son came in to show me something or tell me something, and he saw me sitting there, crying. My eight-year-old son. … And he put his arms around me and just hugged me. And, like, I realized I'm not gonna let him see this. This is not what we're gonna be." The tariffs hit just after Benike struck a deal to sell Busy Baby products at Target and Walmart. To produce enough inventory, she took out a loan from the Small Business Administration. "That loan is partially SBA-financed, and then partially leveraged against my house," Benike said. "So, if I can't stay in business and pay those loans, I lose the house." Inside Benike's warehouse, this is what's left: Once this inventory is sold, Benike said, "then we're out of product. Then we're sold out. We've got nothing more coming in." One of the retailers Benike supplies is Little Roo's, in Chaska, Minnesota. Owner Marissa Held-Nordling says she has seen shopper behavior change since tariffs were introduced. For the first time ever, she is allowing customers to stockpile baby registry gifts, like Benike's Busy Baby mats. That way, family and friends can still get what they need, often for baby showers months away. "You can't just do a registry anymore, because the products aren't guaranteed that it's still going to be on the shelf," said Held-Nordling. "So, at this point I'm allowing people to come in and fill a bin, and they can get their exact colors … and then I close the bin and I take this product off my website." While the U.S. and China begin trade talks, economists still expect most goods to get more expensive – or even go out of stock, from clothing to electronics to toys. Yale's Budget Lab says tariffs could add nearly $5,000 a year to families' household expenses. Raising a kid in the U.S. was already expensive. Tariffs could add $1,000 to the billTrump says there are no tariff exceptions in his trade war, despite electronics exemptions Kyla Scanlon, an economic analyst and author of "In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work," said, "It's probably a smart time to take advantage of this weird, uncertain moment to make sure that you have what you need, just in case prices do get more expensive. If you don't need something right away, a lot of financial advisors would recommend that you do start padding your emergency fund, and putting some money to the side." I asked, "Are these tariffs necessary to rebalance the global economy?" "I don't think this was necessary," Scanlon laughed. "Targeted tariffs are okay. But when you do broad, blanket tariffs on everything, and when the rate is confusing, when small businesses don't know how to invest, they don't know what they should be spending money on – it's just not a good economic environment." The legality of the Trump administration sidestepping Congress to implement tariffs is being challenged in the courts. President Trump says he imposed these tariffs in part to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. Small business owner challenges Trump tariffs in court When asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" if there were discussions about giving relief to small businesses, Trump replied, "They're not going to need it. They're gonna make so much money, if you build your product here." But Benike says that's impossible – that manufacturing her products in the U.S. is too expensive: "The cost of land is higher here. The cost of insurance, the building, electricity, employees. And these factories that are producing now in the U.S., the raw materials they're bringing in are being tariffed as well." It's an untenable situation, even for someone as successful as Benike. Just last week, she was recognized for her company's success – while she worried about its survival. "I was in D.C. to receive my Small Business Person of the Year Award at the fanciest hotel in D.C., with my son in his adorable little suit and bow tie," she said. "And I just sat there feeling defeated. Where I would've loved to have celebrated that, now I have to prove it." Still, she's not giving up. She's drawing inspiration from a phrase she picked up in the military: Improvise, adapt and overcome. "So, Plan B is figuring out how to become a global brand," she said. "And not sell in the United States?" I asked. "For now," Benike said, adding, "It'll come back some day." "You have faith?" "I do. I have faith. It'll come back some day. This can't possibly last forever." For more info: Busy Baby, Zumbrota, Roo's, Chaska, Analyst Kyla Scanlon on Instagram"In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work" by Kyla Scanlon (Crown Currency), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Story produced by John Goodwin and Emily Pandise. Editor: Karen Brenner. See also: Trump's tariffs set America's economy, and the world, on edge ("Sunday Morning")Trump's chaotic tariffs week ("Sunday Morning")Who would pay for Trump's promised tariffs? You will! ("Sunday Morning") Newly discovered vintage photos reveal San Francisco mystery Nature: Nesting birds in Florida Jim Gaffigan on how best to celebrate Dads this Mother's Day
CBS News
11-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Small business owners on damage from Trump's tariffs
Beth Benike is a mom, a veteran, and a small business owner – and she's sounding the alarm. "I've been telling all of my friends and family that anything you want for Christmas, to get it right now, especially if you're buying for children. If you are buying any baby products at all, get them while they're here, because they're gonna be gone." After a decade serving in the Army, stationed in Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq and beyond, Benike started Busy Baby, a Minnesota company that designs and sells placemats and utensils for babies and toddlers. All her products are made in China. And now, those products are subject to President Trump's 145% tax on Chinese imports. Busy Baby owner Beth Benike (right), with correspondent Jo Ling Kent. CBS News "We have three months' worth of products sitting at the factory," Benike said. "And now, in order to get it here, we need $230,000 on top of what we've already paid for the product, just to get it in the country." "Can you afford that?" I asked. "Oh God, no," Benike replied. "So, what do you do?" "First, I sat on my kitchen floor and cried," Benike said. "And when I was on the floor in the kitchen, my son came in to show me something or tell me something, and he saw me sitting there, crying. My eight-year-old son. … And he put his arms around me and just hugged me. And, like, I realized I'm not gonna let him see this. This is not what we're gonna be." The tariffs hit just after Benike struck a deal to sell Busy Baby products at Target and Walmart. To produce enough inventory, she took out a loan from the Small Business Administration. "That loan is partially SBA-financed, and then partially leveraged against my house," Benike said. "So, if I can't stay in business and pay those loans, I lose the house." Inside Benike's warehouse, this is what's left: The dwindling inventory in the Busy Baby warehouse. According to owner Beth Benike, "We've got nothing more coming in." CBS News Once this inventory is sold, Benike said, "then we're out of product. Then we're sold out. We've got nothing more coming in." One of the retailers Benike supplies is Little Roo's, in Chaska, Minnesota. Owner Marissa Held-Nordling says she has seen shopper behavior change since tariffs were introduced. For the first time ever, she is allowing customers to stockpile baby registry gifts, like Benike's Busy Baby mats. That way, family and friends can still get what they need, often for baby showers months away. Marissa Held-Nordling, owner of Little Roo's. CBS News "You can't just do a registry anymore, because the products aren't guaranteed that it's still going to be on the shelf," said Held-Nordling. "So, at this point I'm allowing people to come in and fill a bin, and they can get their exact colors … and then I close the bin and I take this product off my website." While the U.S. and China begin trade talks, economists still expect most goods to get more expensive – or even go out of stock, from clothing to electronics to toys. Yale's Budget Lab says tariffs could add nearly $5,000 a year to families' household expenses. Kyla Scanlon, an economic analyst and author of "In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work," said, "It's probably a smart time to take advantage of this weird, uncertain moment to make sure that you have what you need, just in case prices do get more expensive. If you don't need something right away, a lot of financial advisors would recommend that you do start padding your emergency fund, and putting some money to the side." I asked, "Are these tariffs necessary to rebalance the global economy?" Crown Currency "I don't think this was necessary," Scanlon laughed. "Targeted tariffs are okay. But when you do broad, blanket tariffs on everything, and when the rate is confusing, when small businesses don't know how to invest, they don't know what they should be spending money on – it's just not a good economic environment." The legality of the Trump administration sidestepping Congress to implement tariffs is being challenged in the courts. President Trump says he imposed these tariffs in part to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. When asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" if there were discussions about giving relief to small businesses, Trump replied, "They're not going to need it. They're gonna make so much money, if you build your product here." But Benike says that's impossible – that manufacturing her products in the U.S. is too expensive: "The cost of land is higher here. The cost of insurance, the building, electricity, employees. And these factories that are producing now in the U.S., the raw materials they're bringing in are being tariffed as well." It's an untenable situation, even for someone as successful as Benike. Just last week, she was recognized for her company's success – while she worried about its survival. "I was in D.C. to receive my Small Business Person of the Year Award at the fanciest hotel in D.C., with my son in his adorable little suit and bow tie," she said. "And I just sat there feeling defeated. Where I would've loved to have celebrated that, now I have to prove it." Still, she's not giving up. She's drawing inspiration from a phrase she picked up in the military: Improvise, adapt and overcome. "So, Plan B is figuring out how to become a global brand," she said. "And not sell in the United States?" I asked. "For now," Benike said, adding, "It'll come back some day." "You have faith?" "I do. I have faith. It'll come back some day. This can't possibly last forever." For more info: Story produced by John Goodwin and Emily Pandise. Editor: Karen Brenner. See also:
