This holiday season, stocking stuffers are becoming the main event, as big box stores such as Target and Walmart highlight the affordability of their holiday toy assortment, touting the number of items below $20 and $25 respectively.

“We recognize affordability is top of mind for many consumers this year, so we’re committed to delivering exceptional value,” Target spokesperson Emily Mackessy told Retail Brew via email. “This year, we intentionally increased our toy assortment to offer thousands of toys this holiday season with over half priced under $20.”

Walmart, meanwhile, said 25 of the 66 items featured in its 2024 Top Toys List are priced below $25. Items on the list range from $2.88 for select items from the Barbie Mini BarbieLand Collection to $24.97 for a 12-inch Wicked doll or a Creativity for Kids Grow N Glow Terrarium.

The pivot to cheaper toys has been in the works for the last year or two, James Zahn, editor-in-chief of The Toy Book, told Retail Brew. But it “hit a peak” this season, he said, as toy makers and retailers aligned around providing low-cost options to budget-conscious consumers.

Keep reading here.—AV

As the fall sports season gets underway, shoppers snapped up essential gear to get back into robust shape and cheer on their favorite teams, the latest Shopify sales data shared first exclusively with Retail Brew suggests. The tech platform that builds e-commerce stores reported top-selling items for October included football helmet visors, scoreboards, and training equipment, including chin straps.

Shopify orders for helmet visors jumped 350% compared to September, while sales of scoreboards spiked more than 204%. Orders for American football training equipment (up 133%), chin straps (up 132%), and protective gear (up 132%) also saw significant increases. Cheerleading pompoms, school uniforms, and sports drinks saw higher sales as well.

Keep reading here.—VC

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Lígia Moraes de Campos held roles at Coca-Cola FEMSA and Danone before helping entrepreneurs bring their products to market as a food business consultant at Fair Food Consulting.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I assist food and beverage entrepreneurs throughout the innovation journey, from concept to consumer. This includes understanding their target market and needs, which enhances the likelihood of success when launching new products.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? My job involves supporting companies in fostering innovation, building their brands, and making it all happen by observing the world and human behavior. Although it may seem like a highly social role, the reality is that it’s mostly me and my computer.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? The development of a complete portfolio of 100% natural cold-pressed juices, including consumer and market research, branding, naming, visual identity, storytelling, and story selling (retail positioning).

Keep reading here.—EC